Bridge the Vampire Slayer: Season I
by Terrific Tina
Summary: An SPD version of the famous Buffy show. No knowledge of the actual show required. Eventual SLASH. One person in the world chosen to fight vampires and demons. That person is the Slayer. ON HIATUS! Just for a month or so...
1. Welcome to the Hellmouth

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the idea for this fic. Buffy plots belong to Joss Whedon and SPD belong to someone I don't know.**

**A/N: Welcome to the first episode of my fic series. I'll be doing the first three Buffy seasons with a twist at the end. WARNING: This fic is slash! Here's a quick character run down for those of you who have seen the show:**

**Buffy – Bridge**

**Angel – Sky**

**Xander – Jack**

**Willow – Z**

**Giles – Cruger**

**Cordelia – Syd**

**Darla - Darla**

**Master - Broodwing **

**Now let's do this people!**

**Episode one: Welcome to the Hellmouth**

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**A fist punched through the window leading to the chemistry lab of the neighborhood High School, Sunnydale High. A young boy around seventeen climbed in with another blonde girl looking to be around the same age, looking rather nervous.**

"**Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked him.**

"**Yup. The view of the town from the roof of the gym is incredible, Darla!" the boy said enthusiastically. They walked out together, heading for the intersection where Darla stopped walking.**

"**I don't think we should go up there," she said softly.**

"**Can't wait, huh?" the teen leaned forward and they nearly kissed when his girlfriend gasped and turned around. "What?"**

"**I heard something."**

**The boy looked down the hall and then grinned at her, "There's nothing over there!"**

"**Are you sure?" she asked in frightened tone.**

"**Yes," he sighed as she turned away and then yelled down the hall, "Is there any one there?!" There was no answer. He turned back to her, "See?"**

**Darla didn't respond.**

**The boy sighed again and put his hand on her shoulder, "There's nothing to be afraid of."**

"**Alright then," Darla turned back to him revealing yellow eyes, a ridged forehead and gleaming fangs. Before the boy had a chance to yell, she clamped her fangs on his neck. He groaned and the two slid to the floor.**

**Only one got up again.**

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**The next morning, a young teenage boy was tossing and turning in his sleep. He had wild, brown hair and pale-ish skin and was currently trying to wake himself from the nightmares that plagued his dreams. Images flashed in his mind's eye.**

_**An underground cave, an old man with ridges, fangs and gleaming yellow eyes, a cemetery, a giant snake, another man, this one looking normal, turning away from him-**_

"**Bridge, get up!" a woman's voice came from below.**

"**Wha?" Bridge groaned and opened his eyes, revealing pale blue orbs heavy with sleep. He yawned and then yelled back, "I'm up!"**

"**Hurry up or you're going to be late for your first day of high school!" a woman with honey-brown hair and brown eyes poked her head in the teen's room to see if her son was awake.**

**Bridge yawned again. "No . . . wouldn't want that!" he muttered sarcastically under his breath.**

**After a quick breakfast, Bridge was looking out of the window of the car as his mother drove him to his school since he didn't have a license at sixteen.**

"**Okay, we're here!" Maya exclaimed cheerfully and her son got out, "Bridge?"**

"**Hmm?" he turned back to her.**

"**Think positive! I'm sure you'll make friends in no time!"**

"**Thanks mom," he said with a small smile and turned to leave again when she called him back, "what?"**

"**Try not to get kicked out again," she said in a bland tone.**

"**I promise," Bridge said with a sigh and then watched as his mother drove away. He walked towards the stairs before deciding to see the grounds. He didn't notice a young black male with dreads, around his age, bob and weave between people on his skate-board.**

"**Excuse me, 'scuse me, not sure how to stop, comin through, please move . . ." he turned his head as he watched Bridge pass. **

**In Sunnydale, everything was so out of the ordinary, even homosexuality was accepted without a problem, which is why the skate-boarder continued to stare at Bridge without him or anyone realizing it He was so busy gaping, that he didn't notice the stair-railing until he collided into it, landing on the stairs. Bridge turned around to see what the commotion was and then simply cocked an eyebrow before resuming his wandering of the crowds.**

**A young Hispanic-looking girl walked up to the other male and bent down next to him, "You okay, Jack?"**

"**I'm okay. I feel good!" Jack sat up and then looked at his friend. "Z, can you help me with my math?"**

**Z sighed, "Which part?"**

"**The math."**

"**Check out 'Theories of Trig'," she crossed her arms.**

"**Where would I find that?" Jack tilted his head.**

"**In the library. Where the books live," she said with a raised eyebrow.**

**The two walked into the school and headed to class when another young **

**black haired male ran up to Jack, "Hey man!"**

"**Hey, Jesse! What's what?" Jack said happily. Jesse pretended to think for a minute and then snapped his fingers.**

"**New guy!"**

"**Saw him. Hot one."**

"**Going after him?" Jesse raised an eyebrow.**

"**Maybe."**

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"**Bridge Carson, sophomore. Interesting record, quite a career," Principal Flutie muttered as he looked over Bridge's files. All of a sudden he tore the paper into four pieces and smiled at the young teen.**

"**Welcome to Sunnydale, Bridge. You have a clean slate here. We're not interested in what is written in-" he glanced at one of the pieces and his eyes widened, "WHOA!"**

"**Wasn't **_**that**_** bad," Bridge muttered.**

"**You burnt down the gym?" Flutie looked over at him.**

"**I'm sorry?" Bridge shrugged with a small smile. Flutie wouldn't have been able to tell that he had done something as burn down a gym. The boy looked so innocent!**

"**Ah, well, just let's not burn down the buildings here?"**

"**I promise."**

"**You're free to go."**

**Bridge exited the office, only to bump into a girl and boy, causing him to drop his books, "Sorry!"**

"**It's okay," the girl smiled and walked away. Bridge looked down at the mess of his books and made a small sound, "Oh."**

**Jack was passing by and heard him, recognizing him from before and squatted down beside him, "Can I help you?"**

**Bridge looked up at him and smiled, "It would be appreciated." Once the books were gathered, Bridge stuck out his hand, "Bridge Carson. I'm new here."**

**Jack shook his hand and stammered, "Jack. Is, is me!"**

**Bridge smiled at that, "Hi."**

**Jack blushed slightly, but Bridge didn't notice, "Maybe I'll see you around sometime. After all, we both . . . go to . . . school." Bridge simply grinned at that and started down the hall. Jack noticed something on the floor and called after him.**

"**Hey, you forgot your . . . stake," he stared at the large sharp piece of wood he was holding.**

**Bridge didn't hear him and walked into a young blonde girl with blue eyes. "Sorry!"**

"**Watch it! And I haven't seen you before. Are you new?"**

"**Yeah. Just came in from LA," Bridge shrugged.**

**The girl stuck out her hand, "I'm Sydney Drew. Friends call me Syd."**

"**Nice to meet you Sydney," he shook it. The two turned around the corner while talking and spotted Z by the drinking fountain.**

"**You'll love Sunnydale! Everyone is great and so- are you done?" Sydney asked Z while talking to Bridge.**

"**Huh? Oh yeah! Sure," Z walked away and Bridge stared after her for a moment before turning back to Sydney, "Where's the library?"**

"**Just about that corner. First door to your right."**

"**Thanks," Bridge smiled and walked into the library, "Anyone in here?" He glanced at the article on the paper which said **_**Local Boy Still Missing**_

"**May I help you?" a voice said from behind him, causing him to jump.**

"**You could start by not doing that!" Bridge snapped slightly at the dark haired man who was standing behind the counter (A/N Imagine Daggeron from Mystic Force). "I was looking for some books. I'm new."**

"**I'm Anubis Cruger. You must be Mr. Carson. I heard you were coming," he said with a small smile.**

"**Guess I'm the only new kid," Bridge said dryly and took out his book list. "I need-"**

"**I know what you need!" Cruger said with a rather big grin as he bent down and took out a book labeled 'Vampires'. Bridge gave a disturbed look.**

"**I'm not looking for that."**

"**Really?"**

"**Yes."**

"**My mistake," he put the book back. "Now what do you-" he paused to see Bridge walking out of the library. He passed the girl's locker-room, unaware that the two girls in there were talking about him.**

"**What do you think about that new guy?" Aura, a blonde haired girl asked her brunette friend.**

"**Cute, but I heard he burnt down the gym in his previous school."**

"**That'll make him popular," Aura opened her locker, "After all-" she never completed the sentence as it was swallowed by her screams as the dead boy in her locker fell at her feet.**

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**At lunch, Z was sitting at a bench against the wall and Bridge walked up to her, "Um, you're Elizabeth, right?"**

"**I go by Z," she responded automatically and then looked up at him, "Hi, um, did you want me to move?"**

**Bridge sat down next to her with a small smile, "How about we start with 'Hi, I'm Bridge'? This does however require you to hang out with me for a while. I need a favor."**

"**But aren't you hanging out with Sydney?" she asked.**

"**I can't do both?"**

"**Not legally."**

**Bridge sighed and crossed his legs, "Z, I'm new here and I really want to get by. Syd has been really nice . . . to me . . . but I have a burning desire to **_**not**_** fail every class. I heard you were the best person to get caught up with."**

**Z nodded enthusiastically, "Oh, I could totally help you out! Do you have sixth period free? We could go to the library!"**

"**How about not? Can we go someplace a little more quieter? I mean louder! That place gives me the wiggins."**

"**It has that effect on most people. The new guy there is really cool!"**

"**He's new?"**

**Z nodded, "Just came in from working in a British museum as a curator."**

"**Hi there!" Jack said happily as he hopped onto the wall behind them. Jesse stood in front of them.**

"**Bridge, this is Jack and Jesse," Z pointed out. "Guys, this is Bridge Carson."**

"**Oh, Bridge and I go way back. Old friends, very close. There was a period of estrangement, but now I'm quite moved," Jack said quickly.**

"**Is it just me or have you turned into a babbling idiot?" Jesse asked.**

"**It's not just you," Jack said.**

"**Nice to meet you guys. I think," Bridge grinned and then blinked at the stake Jack held out to him.**

"**You left this when we bumped into each other. All I can tell is that you're building a very small fence."**

"**Thanks," Bridge took it and put it back in his bag, "It's for self-defense."**

"**Are these guys bothering you?' Syd asked as she walked up to him and the others.**

"**No."**

"**Anyway, I just came to say that gym has been cancelled due to extreme dead guy in locker."**

"**What?" Z nearly shrieked.**

"**He was stuffed into Aura's locker."**

"**Dead?" Bridge asked.**

"**Totally dead. Way dead."**

"**So not a little dead, huh?" Jack asked, trying to lighten the mood.**

"**How did he die? Were there any marks?" Bridge asked urgently.**

"**Ew, morbid much? I didn't ask!" she exclaimed.**

"**Guys, I have to get a book," Bridge said shortly and walked off.**

"**What's his deal?" Syd cocked her head.**

**Bridge walked to the back entrance of the girl's locker room and tired to open the door. It was locked.**

"**Great," he muttered under his breath and then applied more pressure, breaking the lock easily. He came inside and then noticed the body in the centre of the room. He pulled off the sheet and saw the bite mark in his neck.**

"**Oh great!"**

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**Bridge barged into the library, "Okay, what's the sitch?"**

**Cruger's voice came from the stacks in the library, "Excuse me?"**

"**You heard about the dead guy, right?"**

**Cruger stepped out, "Yes."**

"**Weirdest thing. He's got two puncture marks on his neck and he's been **

**drained of blood," he walked up the stairs to Cruger. "Isn't that just making you go 'ooo'?"**

"**I was afraid of this."**

"**Well, **_**I**_** wasn't! It's my first day! I was worried that I'd flunk, not make friends, and have a bad hair day. I was **_**not**_** expecting vampires on campus and I don't care!" he exclaimed, obviously upset.**

"**Then why are you here?" Cruger raised an eyebrow.**

**Bridge seemed to be shocked at that question and tried to cover up his mistake, "To tell you that I . . . don't care . . . which I don't, and . . . have told you, so bye!" he turned to leave.**

"**Is he, well, will he rise again?"**

"**No. They just drained him."**

"**How can you tell?"**

"**To make you a vampire, they have to suck your blood, then you'll have to suck their blood, it's basically a whole sucking system. Mostly, they'll just kill you. Why am I still talking to you?" he walked down the stairs. Cruger followed him.**

"**You just don't get it do you? It is no coincidence that you were sent here. That boy was the first of many."**

**Bridge wheeled around and let out an exasperated sigh, "Why can't you people leave me alone?"**

"**Because you are the Slayer!" Cruger growled as he stepped in front of him. "Into each generation a Slayer is born, one girl or boy in the entire world, the Chosen One, one born with-"**

"**With the strength and skill to hunt the vampires, stop the spread of their evil, blah, blah, blah! I've heard it, okay?"**

**Cruger had a truly confused look on his face, "I truly don't understand this attitude. You've accepted your duty, you've slain vampires-"**

**Bridge interrupted again, "And I've both been there and done that. I'm moving on."**

**Cruger sighed and went into his office, "How much do you know about this town?"**

"**It's two hours off the freeway?" he shrugged.**

"**If you dig into the history of this place, you'll find a number of strange occurrences," he came back with four books and set them on the table. "I believe this is place of mystical energy that draws supernatural creatures to its core."**

"**Like vampires."**

**Bridge tried not to stagger under the weight of the books Cruger was placing in his arms while rattling of different types of demons. "Zombies, werewolves, succubi, everything you've ever dreaded that was under your bed but told yourself couldn't be, they're all real!"**

**Bridge gawked at him over the pile of books in his arms, "You sent away for the Time-Life series?"**

**Cruger looked rather embarrassed, "Ah, w-w-w-yes."**

"**Did you get the free phone?"**

"**Um, the calendar."**

"**Cool! Okay," Bridge set down the books on the table, "First thing, I'm a Vampire Slayer, second, I'm retired. Hey, I know! Why don't you kill them?"**

"**I-I'm a Watcher. I-I don't have the skill," Cruger stammered.**

"**Come on, a stake through the heart, a little sunlight. Like falling of a log!"**

"**A, a Slayer slays. A Watcher . . ."**

"**Watches?" Bridge said blandly.**

"**Yes. No! He trains him. He, he, he prepares him."**

"**Prepare me for what?" Bridge asked with a tinge of anger and bitterness in his voice. "For getting kicked out of school? For losing all my friends? For fighting for my life all the time and never getting to tell people because it might endanger them? Go ahead, prepare me!"**

**The two stared at each other silently before Bridge walked out of the library. Cruger stared at his back for a moment before muttering, "Damn!" and racing after him. Unbeknownst to them, Jack stepped out from the stacks, holding a book in his hand.**

"**What?" he muttered, staring at the door.**

**Meanwhile, Cruger had caught up to Bridge and grabbed his arm, turning him around.**

"**It's getting worse!"**

"**What is getting worse?!" Bridge hissed.**

**Cruger guided them to the wall and spoke in a low voice, "The influx of the undead, the supernatural energy. There's a reason why you're here and why it's now!"**

"**Because now is the time my mom chose to move here!" Bridge hissed as he tried to evade him, but Cruger held out his arm to stop him.**

"**Something's coming. Something bad."**

"**Gee, vague much?" Bridge said sarcastically.**

"**The signs point to a huge mystical upheaval. In days, possibly less!**

**Bridge rolled his eyes, "Come on, this is Sunnydale! How bad can an evil be?"**

**While they were talking, underneath the Sunnydale ceremony, in a lair, vampires were carrying torches while another vampire by the name of Luke was chanting.**

"**The sleeper will wake. The sleeper will wake. The sleeper will wake. The sleeper will wake, and the world will bleed. Amen!"**

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"**God, since when have I had trouble choosing an outfit?" Bridge groaned with his head in his hands as he thought about what to wear to the Sunnydale club, the Bronze. At this point Maya came in and saw the clothes strewn about.**

"**Did a hurricane come through here?" she asked with a small smile.**

"**Haha, mom," Bridge grinned.**

"**Are you, uh, going out tonight?" Maya asked.**

"**Yeah, I'm going to a club."**

"**Will there be boys there?"**

"**No mom. I was accepted into a nun's club," Bridge said sarcastically. He knew his mother didn't have a problem about his sexuality, but she did worry if who he liked was nice.**

"**Just be careful, smartass," Maya chuckled.**

"**Of course."**

"**You know, I think we can make it work here," Maya said, looking around. "I've got my positive energy flowing and the gallery will do well."**

"**That'll be nice."**

"**Your, uh, school has a very nurturing environment which is what you need."**

"**Well, actually," Bridge started to say, only for Maya to continue as though she hadn't heard him.**

"**But not too nurturing because I know you're sixteen and the dangers of over-nurturing. We're in a new town, but I'm **_**going**_** to make it work." She strode up to Bridge and took his hands, "You're a good boy Bridge. You just came into the wrong crowd."**

"**Thanks mom," Bridge said, giving her one of his rare, true smiles. 'From now on, I'm only going to hang around the living. I mean," he amended quickly at the look on his mother's face, "the lively. People."**

"**Well, take care," Maya said with a smile.**

**After choosing a simple t-shirt and jeans, Bridge walked down the streets to the Bronze. He appeared to be unaware that a man with dark blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, wearing only black, was following him. Bridge walked into an alleyway and spotted something above head. The man followed him into the alleyway and was slightly surprised to see it empty. He walked further in then was knocked down by Bridge, who had been doing a handstand on a pipe above and swung down to kick him in the back. Bridge stood over him and glared down at the man who smiled back.**

"**Is there a problem?" the blonde man asked.**

"**Yes, there is. Why are you following me?" Bridge demanded, not backing off.**

"**I know what you're thinking and don't worry. I don't bite." Bridge stared at him for a second longer and then let him get up, not letting his guard down.**

"**Truth is, I though you'd be taller. Muscles and all that. You're pretty spry though," the man massaged his neck while glancing at Bridge.**

"**What do you want?" he growled.**

"**Same thing you do."**

"**And that would be?" Bridge cocked an eyebrow and the man turned serious.**

"**To kill them. To kill them all."**

**Bridge let down his fighting stance and put a hand on his hip, "Sorry, that's incorrect. But you get this watch and a supply of turtle wax. What I want is to be left alone!" he spat and then turned to leave.**

"**You think that's an option? You're standing on the mouth of Hell. And it's about to open," the mysterious man said in a bland tone. Bridge turned back to him in shock and watched as he put a hand inside his dark jacket, withdrawing a small box and tossing it to him.**

'**Don't turn your back on this. You've gotta be ready."**

"**Ready for what?" Bridge asked warily.**

"**The Harvest."**

**Bridge opened the box to reveal a small silver cross and chain. "Who are you?" Bridge asked in a softer voice.**

"**Let's just say I'm a friend."**

"**Maybe I don't need a friend."**

"**I didn't say I was yours."**

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**Bridge walked into the Bronze, now wearing the silver chain the man had given him. He walked to the bar and spotted Z.**

"**Hey!" he said with a smile.**

"**Hi!" Z couldn't help but smile back.**

"**You here with someone?" Bridge asked.**

"**I'm waiting for Jack."**

"**You guys going out?"**

"**No, we're just friends. We used to go out, but then we broke up," she said with a nostalgic look on her face.**

"**Why?" Bridge ordered a coke for himself.**

"**He stole my bear," Z nearly trailed off at the look on Bridge's face and gave a sheepish grin, "We were five."**

"**Ah," Bridge said in realization.**

"**I don't date a whole lot," Z said in a sad voice.**

"**Why not?" Bridge cocked an eyebrow.**

"**I can't speak in front of guys. They prefer girls who can actually talk."**

"**You really haven't been dating recently." Bridge said with an amused grin.**

"**Must be easy for you to get girls," Z said glumly.**

"**Yes it is. But I bat for the home team," Bridge said, blushing.**

**Z raised an eyebrow at him and then gave him a gentle smile, "Don't worry. So many other weird things happen in Sunnydale, even people like who like their own gender are accepted. Quite a few guys are gay here."**

"**Nice to know," Bridge said with a grin. 'Z, as for dating, you know what my philosophy is?"**

"**What is it?" **

"**Life is short."**

"**Life is short?"**

"**Yes," Bridge nodded, "You have to take every chance you get. You never know when you might die." He saw Cruger on the upper level of the Bronze and turned back to Z, "I'll be back in a minute."**

"**You don't have to come back. It's okay," Z said glumly.**

**Bridge smiled at her, "I'll be back in a minute." He climbed up the stairs to see Giles looking very uncomfortable. Being who he was, he had to make it worse.**

"**So you like to party with the students? Isn't that kind of skanky?"**

**Cruger turned to him, "Oh right, this is me having fun. Watching . . . clown haired people prance about is hardly my idea of a party. I'd much rather be home with a cup of tea and a book."**

**Bridge grinned at him, "Okay, you need a personality, stat!"**

**Cruger pointed at the crowd, "This is perfect breeding ground for vampires. Its dark, it's crowded. Beside I knew you would show up here and I had to make you understand-"**

"**That the Harvest is coming," Bridge completed, "Your friend told me about that. It mean anything to you, cause I'm drawing a blank."**

"**I'm not sure. Who told you this?" Cruger frowned.**

"**This . . . guy. Dark, gorgeous in an annoying sort of way," he shrugged.**

**Cruger raised an eyebrow, "Are you, ah,"**

"**Yes," Bridge said deadpanned.**

"**Anyway, what did he say?"**

"**Something about the Mouth of Hell. I **_**really**_** didn't like him." A slow song began to play and Cruger leaned over the railing.**

"**Look at them, throwing themselves about. They're completely oblivious to the danger around them."**

"**Lucky them."**

"**Or perhaps you're right. There could be no danger at all. It's not like you've had the nightmares.**

**Bridge remained silent as he watched Jesse get the brush-off by Syd again.**

"**I didn't say that I wouldn't slay another vampire. I don't have fluffy feelings for them. I'm just not going to get very extracurricular with it. If I see one, sure I'll slay-"**

"**Will you be ready?" Giles interrupted. "There is so much you don't know about them and your own powers. A vampire appears normal until they reveal their demonic visage before feeding."**

"**You're like a walking textbook with arms. I know that."**

"**The point is that the Slayer should be able to find them at any time. Can you find a vampire in this building?"**

**Bridge scanned the crowd, "Maybe . . ."**

"**Ah, reach out with your mind. Feel the energy, let it envelop-"**

"**There," Bridge pointed at the man talking to the dark haired girl.**

"**H-How? You don't know . . ." Cruger peered at the man.**

"**Please, look at his jacket! The sleeves are rolled up and that shirt? Deal with the outfit!"**

"**It's dated?"**

"**It's carbon-dated! Only someone living in a cave for ten years would think that's the look!" Bridge scoffed.**

"**But, you didn't . . . hone," Giles fell silent as Bridge muttered "Z . . ." recognizing the girl the vampire was leading away.**

**Bridge roamed about the floors of the Bronze, stalking about, looking for the vampire and Z. he heard a click and whipped 0out his stake, keeping it poised in his hand as he whipped around to see . . . Syd.**

"**What is your damage?" she cried out in shock.**

"**Did you see Z?"**

"**No! Why, do you want to attack her with a stick?!" she exclaimed. Bridge didn't respond and instead walked out while Syd stared at his back. Her entourage came in and she turned to them, "Excuse me while I make a call to everyone I've ever known."**

**Meanwhile, Bridge ran out of the door of the Bronze and met Cruger.**

"**That **_**was**_** quick! Well done! I-I need to go to the library and research this Harvest thing."**

"**They got away," Bridge interrupted.**

"**The vampire is not dead?!" Cruger gave him a look.**

"**No, but my social life is!"**

"**Now what?" Cruger sighed.**

"**I'll take care of it. You go to your research. I can handle one vampire," Bridge nodded, walking past Jesse and the blonde girl he was talking to.**

"**So what's your name?" he asked her. The woman smiled, "Darla."**

"**Do you have family here? Have I met them?"**

"**No, but you probably will."**

**While the events took place, a vampire (A/N Picture Broodwing without the helmet thingie he normally wears here) rose from the pool of blood in his lair beneath the cemetery. He stepped out of the pool and offered his hand to Luke, who was kneeling before him. Luke took it.**

"**Master!"**

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"**I am weak," the Master said to Luke.**

"**In the Harvest, he will be restored," Luke quoted.**

"**The Harvest . . ."**

"**Soon you'll be free!"**

**The Master reached out to test his mystical confines and realized they were just as strong as ever.**

"**I need strength. I must be ready," the Master murmured.**

"**I sent servants to get you food."**

"**Good. Luke, bring me something . . . young."**

**Dl**

**Meanwhile, Z was walking with the vampire Thomas and he led her to the cemetery.**

"**Um, the ice cream bar is another way." Z said almost questioningly.**

"**I know a shortcut," he said blandly and pulled her into the graveyard.**

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**Bridge wandered about outside the Bronze and ran into Jack. "Have you seen Z?"**

"**Not right now, no."**

"**She left with a guy," Bridge pressed on.**

"**Z? Go girl!"**

"**I need to find her! Bridge interrupted, "who knows where that guy took her!"**

**Jack crossed his arms, "I hope he's not a vampire or you might have to slay him."**

**Bridge was taken aback and began panicking, "W-Was there a . . . school bulletin? Was it i-in the newspaper? Does anyone not know I'm the Slayer?"**

"**No. I only know that you **_**think**_** you're the Slayer. As for my knowing-"**

"**It doesn't matter! We have to find Z and that guy!" Bridge said in a panicky tone.**

"**You're serious!"**

**Bridge stepped closer to Jack and grabbed his shoulders, "If we don't find her, there'll be another dead body tomorrow!"**

**Dl**

"**Are you sure about this?" Z asked in a frightened tone as she and Thomas stood in front of a mausoleum. He didn't respond, but instead shoved into it. Z stumbled down the stairs and turned around to glare at him. There were a couple of coffins inside and a boarded door.**

"**That wasn't funny!" she said hotly. "I'm going!" she skirted by him, because he allowed her and the door out of the mausoleum was blocked by Darla who stared at Thomas in displeasure.**

"**This is the best you could do?"**

"**She's fresh!" Thomas scowled.**

"**Hardly enough to share," Darla rolled her eyes.**

'**Why didn't you bring your own?"**

**Darla stepped into the mausoleum and Jesse stumbled in behind her, "I did."**

**Z looked at him and immediately rushed to his side, "Jesse!"**

"**Z, she gave me a hickey!" Jesse pointed at Darla, weak from blood loss.**

**Thomas looked at her as she shrugged, "I was hungry."**

"**Let's get out of here," Z whispered to Jesse. Darla turned to her and vamped, revealing her fangs, yellow eyes and ridged forehead.**

"**You're not going anywhere until we're fed!" she growled.**

"**Well this is nice," a male voice said from the entrance to the mausoleum. 'It's a little bare, but a dash of paint, a couple pillows . . . call it home!" Bridge said as he walked inside with Jack and moved behind the coffin to draw away the attention of the vampires.**

"**Who the hell are you?" Darla snarled.**

"**You mean someone doesn't know? Thanks god, you have no idea how hard it is to have a secret identity in this town," Bridge said in mock-relief.**

"**Uh, Bridge, we bail now, right?" Jack asked.**

"**Not yet!" Thomas snarled.**

"**Do something about that outfit! You look like DeBarge!" Bridge snapped. He turned back to Darla as Thomas closed in from behind. "We can do this the hard way or . . . actually we can only do this the hard way."**

"**Fine with me," Darla said with a demonic grin. Thomas growled from behind Bridge and lunged at him. The Slayer took out the stake in his pocket and thrust it into his chest, causing Thomas to explode into ash while Darla looked on in shock.**

"**See what happens when you roughhouse?" Bridge cocked his head.**

**Darla snarled at him and Bridge jerked his head in the direction of the door while talking to Jack, "Get them out of here."**

**Jack helped Z and Jesse out of the mausoleum while Bridge and Darla began to fight. Darla punched high but Bridge blocked, striking her back with a punch to the shoulder. Darla growled and attempted to scratch him with her nails but Bridge caught her wrists and head butted her in the forehead. While she was reeling, he kicked her in the abdomen causing her to double over, before elbowing her in the back, knocking her down.**

"**You know," Bridge said conversationally, "I just wanted to go to school here, but you guys can't suck in some other town!"**

"**Who are you?" Darla managed to get out.**

"**You don't know?" Bridge raised his stake, but he was grabbed by the neck from behind.**

"**I don't care!" Luke snarled as he threw Bridge across the room, into the wall. He lifted Darla to her feet, "You got beaten by a child?"**

"**He's different," she said fearfully. "He killed Thomas. He's strong."**

**Luke sighed, "You go. I'll take care of the child."**

**Bridge got to his feet as Darla ran off and faced off against Luke. He tried to punch him, but ended up dodging a blow which would have been very painful for him to deal with. He kicked him in the stomach and then launched a hopping spin kick to his jaw. Luke was unfazed and he grinned at the Slayer, "You're strong." He backhanded Bridge across the face, causing him to hit the side of the stone coffin. "I'm stronger!"**

**Outside, Jack, Jesse and Z were surrounded by vampires and Darla was grinning at them, "Get them!" she snarled.**

**Inside the mausoleum, Luke shoved the stone lid of the coffin and Bridge cart-wheeled to avoid it smashing him. He grabbed the stake from the floor and lunged at Luke who grabbed his wrist. **

"**You think you can stop me?" he growled. He snapped the stake and then threw Bridge back into the coffin. The Slayer let out a small scream as he rolled into a skeleton but remained quiet except for his breathing, unable to see or hear Luke. **

**He started to get up, but Luke jumped into the coffin, pinning him, "You'll make a good addition to our cause." He leaned in towards Bridge's neck, fangs bared.**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**And Welcome to the Hellmouth is finished! This is just the first episode of more to come. For those of you who can't figure it out, the 'mysterious man' who Bridge met while going to the Bronze was Sky.**


	2. The Harvest

**Disclaimer: See previous answer.**

**Episode Two: The Harvest**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Luke leaned in to bite Bridge's neck when he felt a searing pain. He screamed in pain and Bridge took the opportunity to push-kick him out of the coffin before climbing out himself and running out of the mausoleum. He looked at his neck and let a small smile appear on his face at the sight of the cross around his neck. Vampires would sustain burns from crosses and holy water.**

**He heard a scream and ran off to see Z being pinned to the ground by a vamp.**

"**Get off!" she screamed.**

"**Hey!" Bridge yelled and then knocked the vamp off Z by launching a snap kick. The vamp ran off while he helped her up and then, the Slayer was on the hunt again.**

**Jack was being dragged away by two vamps when Z came up, "JACK!" While the vampires were distracted, Bridge kicked one behind the knee-cap before high-punching the other. He spotted a dry branch above head and snapped it off, using it to turn both vamps into dust.**

"**Where's Jesse?" Bridge asked.**

"**They had us surrounded. The girl took him," Jack muttered.**

'**Which way?" Bridge asked urgently.**

"**Don't know."**

**Bridge scanned the area and sighed when he came up blank, "Jesse . . ."**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Cruger leafed through a book while walking down the stairs to where Bridge, Z and Jack were waiting, "This world is older than you know and contrary to popular mythology, it did not begin as a paradise. For eons, demons ruled over the world. They made it their home, their . . . Hell. They lost their grip on this reality and way was made for mortals and man. All that remains of the old ones is certain magicks, vestiges, certain creatures-"**

"**Like vampires," Bridge butted in.**

**Jack looked in between both of them, "Okay this is where I have a problem. We're talking about vampires. We are having a **_**talk**_** with vampires in it."**

"**Isn't that what we saw last night?" Z spoke up.**

**Bridge stammered slightly as he spoke up, "No. No, th-those weren't vampires. Those were just men in desperate need of a facial. Or maybe they had rabies. It could be rabies. And that guy turning to dust? Just a trick of light." Jack gave him a look and he shrugged, "That is exactly what I said the first time. When I was done with the screaming part."**

"**Oh, I need to sit down," Z sighed.**

"**You are sitting," Bridge pointed out.**

"**Oh, good for me."**

"**So vampires are demons?" Jack asked Cruger.**

"**The books say that the last demon to leave this world infected a human, mixing their blood. The human form, possessed, bit another and another and so they now walk the earth, killing some, turning others. Waiting for mortals to die out and the old ones to return."**

**Dl**

**Luke shoved Jesse into the Master's lair, which was the remains of an old church. The Master walked up to them and eyed the human.**

"**Is this for me?" he asked in a gravely tone.**

"**An offering," Luke bowed.**

"**He's a good one. His blood is pure!" Darla said from behind Luke. The Master drew the obvious conclusion.**

"**You've tasted it."**

**Darla looked down in shame and the Master continued in an anger filled voice, "I am your faithful dog. You bring me scraps?!"**

"**I didn't mean-" she started out, but the Master spoke over her voice.**

"**For three score years, I have been stuck in this house of 'worship'," he spat the word out, "while you can come and go as you please. My ascension is near at hand. When it comes," he grabbed Darla by the neck, "pray that I am in a better mood."**

**Darla spoke in a fearful voice, afraid of the strength of the Master, "We had more offerings, but there was trouble. A girl!"**

"**And there was a boy," Luke offered. "He fought well and knew of our breed. It is possible that he may be a . . ."**

"**A Slayer!" the Master growled.**

**Dl**

"**And that would be a what?" Jack crossed his arms.**

"**For as long as there have been vampires, there has been a Slayer. One boy or girl in the entire world, a Chosen One," Cruger in a slightly dramatic voice.**

**Bridge rolled his eyes, "He **_**loves**_** doing this part."**

"**All right, vampires are real, Bridge is a Slayer, don't tell anyone. That's all the vampire information you need," Cruger ushered them out of the door.**

"**Whoa! How do you kill them?" Jack asked, refusing to move.**

"_**You**_** don't. **_**I**_** do!" Bridge said, mirroring Jack's posture.**

"**Jesse's my-"**

"**Jesse's my responsibility," Bridge interrupted, feeling guilt at the thought, "I let him get taken."**

"**That's not true!" Z protested. "If it weren't for you, I would have been taken too and does anyone mind if I pass out?"**

"**Breathe," Bridge said with a small smile.**

"**Breathe," Z repeated, doing said action.**

"**Breathe," Bridge nodded and turned to Cruger. "Luke said that he needed offerings to the Master for the Harvest. There may be a chance that Jesse is still alive."**

"**Do you know where they took him?" Cruger put his hands on the table.**

"**Nope. I looked around, but if they got out of the graveyard, they could've 'voom'!"**

**Jack cocked his head, "They can fly?"**

"**They can drive."**

"**Oh."**

"**I didn't hear a car," Z offered.**

"**Let's take an enormous intuitive leap and say they went underground," Cruger said with a hint of sarcasm.**

"**There's an electric tunnel which runs throughout the town," Jack pointed out.**

"**Yes, but we'd need the building commission plans to find the route," Cruger argued.**

"**We **_**so**_** don't have time," Bridge sighed, head in his hands.**

"**Uh, guys, there may be another way," Z spoke up nervously.**

**Dl**

"**A Slayer? Do you have any proof?" the Master asked Luke.**

"**He fought me and lives to tell about it."**

"**Ah, I can't remember the last time that happened," the Master nodded.**

"**1843, Madrid. He caught me sleeping," Luke said defensively.**

"**He mustn't interfere with the Harvest!"**

"**We have something he wants," Luke pointed at Jesse and then grabbed his neck.**

"**Congratulations. You've been upgraded from a meal to bait."**

**Dl**

"**There it is," Bridge pointed out the route on the city plans Z had found on the computer.**

"**It runs under the graveyard, but I can't find access," Jack squinted at it.**

"**So, all city plans are open to public?" Cruger asked her skeptically.**

"**Not really. I . . . stumbled upon them when I accidentally decrypted the security code of the city council," she said sheepishly.**

"**Someone's been naughty," Jack quipped.**

"**There's nothing here! This is useless!" Bridge angrily exclaimed.**

"**You're being rather hard on yourself," Cruger noted.**

"**HELLO! **_**You**_** were the one who told me I wasn't ready for this. Understatement!" he ran a hand through his hair. "Then this Luke comes out of nowhere-" he suddenly stopped, flashing back to the fight.**

"**What?" Z asked warily.**

"**He didn't come out of nowhere," Bridge said softly, his blue eyes narrowed slightly. "He came from behind me while I was facing the entrance. He didn't follow me out either. The entrance is in the mausoleum! The girl must have double-backed with Jesse! God, I am so mentally challenged!"**

"**So we saddle up?" Jack asked.**

"**Not we. **_**Me**_**. Cause I'm the Slayer and you're not!"**

"**I knew you were going to throw that in my face!" Jack pouted.**

"**We want to help," Z stood next to Jack.**

"**Help me then," Cruger sighed. "I've been researching the Harvest. It's some sort of preordained massacre. Rivers of blood, Hell on earth, quite charmless. It may be you can wrest some information from that dreaded machine . . ." he trailed off, noticing the teens giving him odd looks. "That was rather, uh, British, wasn't it?"**

"**Welcome to the New World," Bridge gave him a slightly happy smile.**

"**Z, go on the Net," Cruger ordered.**

"**I can do that!" Z nodded.**

"**Then I'm going to get Jesse," Bridge headed to the door.**

"**Do I have to tell you to be careful?" Cruger asked him. Bridge turned **

**to give him a withering glare before leaving. **

"**You know, it's incredible how he can change moods like that," Jack commented. "Is it a Slayer thing?"**

**Dl**

**Bridge strode out towards the open school gate and was about to leave when the Principal's voice came from behind him.**

"**Where are we going?"**

"**Um, Mr. Cruger wants me to get a book for him since I have a free period," Bridge answered quickly.**

"**Mr. Cruger?" Flutie frowned.**

"**You can ask him!" Bridge said defensively.**

"**Ah, that's probably how they do things in England," Flutie closed and locked the gate, "but here, we don't allow students off campus until school's out."**

**Bridge nodded and managed to give him one of his innocent smiles which fooled everyone. Flutie smiled back, "That's the Bridge Carson I want in my school! Sensible boy with his feet on the ground," he left.**

**Bridge waited until Flutie was out of site before muttering, "Sucker," with an eye roll and gathered himself into a crouch. He easily scaled the ten foot tall gate and ran in the direction of the graveyard.**

**Dl**

**Jack and Z walked to their next class, comparing notes.**

"**Murder, death, disaster. What else?" Jack looked at Z's notes,**

"**Earthquake, flood," she peered at his, "Rain of toads?"**

"**Do you think they'd have that in the paper?" Jack pondered.**

"**I'll put it on computer search. Hopefully find me some vamps."**

"**While I will stand around like an idiot," Jack sulked.**

"**Not like an idiot, just . . . standing," Z tried to protest. "Bridge doesn't want you to get hurt. **_**I**_** don't want you to get hurt!"**

"**You should go to class," Jack motioned towards the classroom.**

"**We should go to class," Z said softly. Jack stiffly nodded and she sighed, "Bridge will be fine. He can handle it."**

"**I know that!" Jack protested.**

"**So do I!"**

**Dl**

**Bridge slowly crept into the mausoleum, looking about, keeping his senses at full alert. He walked down the stairs and walked to the back. He saw a barely noticeable door locked with a heavy chain. While examining the door, he didn't see a tall, dark and blonde man appear behind him. The man exhaled and Bridge spoke without looking back.**

"**Don't suppose you have a key?" the Slayer turned to look at him. He chuckled.**

"**They really don't like me dropping in."**

"**Why not?"**

"**They really don't like me."**

"**Can't imagine why," Bridge stated dryly. Sure he **_**was**_** attracted to the stranger, but it was **_**because**_** he was a stranger that he couldn't trust him.**

"**I figured you would find the entrance sooner or later. Though I expected it to be a **_**little**_** sooner," he held up his hand, keeping a small space between his thumb and index finger.**

"**Sorry to keep you waiting," Bridge rolled his eyes and sighed. "Look, if you're going to keep on popping about with this Cryptic Wise Man act on a regular basis, can you at least tell me your name?"**

**The blonde man's blue eyes pierced into his own, "Sky," he replied.**

"**Sky? That's a pretty name," Bridge turned his attention to the door.**

"**Don't . . . go down there," Sky spoke up.**

"**Deal with my going," Bridge said defiantly.**

"**You shouldn't be putting yourself at risk. The Harvest is tonight and if you don't stop it, the Master will walk again."**

"**If the Harvest is such a suck-fest, why don't **_**you**_** stop it?" Bridge cocked his head with a raised eyebrow**

"**Because I'm afraid," Sky replied stoically. Bridge stared at him for another minute before spinning and kicking the door of the tunnel open.**

"**I've got a friend down there, or at least a potential friend. Do you know what it's like to have a friend?" he asked in a joking manner. Sky didn't respond, but instead looked down at the ground, his eyes filling with sadness.**

"**That wasn't supposed to be a stumper," Bridge spoke up and Sky looked at him to see the Slayer giving him a small comforting smile. Sky couldn't help but feel better by looking at it. Nonetheless, he became all business again.**

"**Once you reach the end, turn right. It should lead you to the lair."**

**Bridge nodded and then walked in, "Aren't you going to wish me luck?" Sky didn't respond as the Slayer walked off and then turned to go his own way, but not before whispering, "Good luck!"**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Bridge walked down the flight of stairs and nearly yelped when a rat skittered over his shoe. He reached the intersection and was about to turn right when-**

"**Did you see anything?" Jack asked from behind him. Bridge let out a small yelp and jumped nearly a foot in the air before turning to give Jack a death-glare.**

"**What are you doing here?" he hissed.**

"**Something stupid. I followed you," Jack responded blandly. "I couldn't **

**just sit at home and do nothing!"**

"**I understand. Now go away!" Bridge put his hands on his hips and glared up at Jack, who was easily two inches taller than him.**

"**No!"**

"**Jack . . ." Bridge added a warning tone into his voice.**

"**Look, Jesse is my buddy, okay? If I can help him, I want to."**

**Bridge sighed, biting his lower lip as he considered the situation. Jack couldn't help but feel slightly attracted to the Slayer, even if there was a danger of them being together. He didn't even know if Bridge was straight or not! Bridge then locked eyes with him and jerked his head slightly, indicating for Jack to follow him.**

"**Besides, it's this or chem class," Jack quipped. They walked up some of **

**the stairs up ahead and Jack broke the silence.**

"**Okay, so crosses, garlic, stake through the heart," Jack rattled off.**

"**That'll do it," Bridge nodded.**

"**Cool! Of course I have none of those things," Jack added. Bridge **

**sighed and then handed him the cross he had in his belt.**

"**Good thinking," he snorted.**

"**Well the part of my brain that would normally tell me to bring those things is currently screaming at me to not come down here. So, what else for vampire slayage?" Jack changed the subject. Mostly.**

"**Fire, beheading, sunlight, holy water, the usual," Bridge responded blandly.**

"**You've done any . . . beheading?" Jack asked nervously.**

"**Oh yeah. There was this one time I was pinned down by this guy who played left tackle for varsity . . . well, he used to before he became a vamp. He was always hitting on me," Bridge frowned.**

"**Y-You're-" Jack couldn't finish the thought and Bridge simply nodded and looked away shyly. He was clearly uncomfortable about telling someone about his sexuality.**

"**It's okay," Jack said in an assuring tone.**

**Bridge smiled at him slightly, "Anyway, he had this thick neck and I just had a small Exact-To knife . . ." he was interrupted by Jack's nervous laughter, "you're not enjoying this story."**

"**Actually, it's oddly comforting."**

**Dl**

**Cruger was reading one of his old volumes and speaking out loud, "For they will gather and be gathered. From the Vessel pours life," he recited and then flipped the page. "On the night of the crescent moon, the first past the solstice it will come," he paused and looked up. "Dear God, that's tonight!"**

**Dl**

**Syd was struggling with her computer project when her friend Aura came in. Z was sitting at one of the other computers, looking for information.**

"**Are we going to the Bronze tonight?" Aura asked.**

"**No! We're going to this other cool place in Sunnydale!" Syd snapped and then sighed at the confused look on Aura's face. "Of course, the Bronze. You should have been there last night. I ran into Bridge . . ."**

**Z began to listen into the conversation while keeping her eyes on her program.**

"**Can he be any weirder? He attacked me! Do you believe it?!" Syd ranted.**

"**You did this part wrong," Aura pointed out on the screen.**

"**Ugh, why do we have to devise these programs?! That's what the nerds are for! What did she do?" Syd whispered out the last part. Aura looked at Z's screen to see her looking through a newspaper archive.**

"**Something else," she sighed.**

"**Anyway, Bridge comes running at me with a stick, screaming 'I'm gonna kill you, I'm gonna kill you'!"**

"**Who?" a boy came in, the same age as Syd.**

"**Bridge!" Syd exclaimed.**

"**New guy?" Aura asked.**

"**What's his deal?" the guy asked.**

"**He got booted from his last school," Aura informed them.**

"**Why?" the guy asked again.**

"**Because he's a psycho loony!" Syd shouted in frustration. That hit a note with Z and she spoke up while turning around.**

"**No, he's not!" she responded.**

"**What?" Syd demanded.**

"**Bridge is not a loony. You don't even know him!" Z nearly yelled.**

"**Excuse me, who gave you permission to exist?" Syd asked snobbily. Z simply looked down, but Syd continued her rant, "Do I listen in on your conversations? No! Because you're boring!" Z simply got up quietly and took her printouts.**

"**The program's done!" Aura cheered.**

"**Finally, the nightmare ends," Syd sighed with relief. "Now, how do I save?"**

"**Deliver," Z called out while leaving.**

"**Deliver? Where's that?" she saw the 'Del' button and pressed it, causing her program to disappear. Syd stared at the screen with her mouth open in horror.**

**Dl**

"**They're close," Bridge murmured.**

"**How can you tell?" Jack whispered back.**

"**No more rats," Bridge pointed to the ground. Jack turned on his flashback and saw Jesse lying on the ground.**

"**Jesse!" Jack nearly shouted as he ran to his friend's side. The boy in question sat up and saw Jack, quickly embracing him. Bridge simply smiled at the fact that they weren't too late.**

"**Are you okay?" Bridge asked gently, which caused Jack to look at him in surprise. So far, he had only seen the spunky (A/N for lack of a better word) side of the Slayer and the denial of his responsibilities.**

"**I am **_**so**_** not, on an epic level!" Jesse responded as Jack helped him to his feet. Bridge shined the light on the shackle at Jesse's ankle.**

"**We gotta get out of here!" Jesse panicked.**

"**It's cool. Bridge is a superhero," Jack pointed out as Bridge easily broke the shackle.**

"**Think anyone heard that?" Jack asked as they ran out, not noticing vampires creeping out from the tunnel.**

"**They knew you were coming! They said I was bait!" Jesse informed them.**

"_**Now**_** you tell us," Jack rolled his eyes as they were surrounded by vamps.**

"**Oops," Bridge muttered. "Jesse, do you know another way out?"**

"**Follow me," he muttered back and they raced off to another intersection and Jesse led them to a chamber.**

"**I don't think this is the way out!" Bridge yelled.**

"**We can't fight all those things! What do we do now?!" Jack gritted out.**

"**I have an idea," Jesse's voice said with a dark undertone. The Slayer and human turned to see Jesse morph into his demon face, "You can **_**die**_**!"**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Jack stared at him in disbelief, guilt in his eyes, "Jesse, man, I'm sorry."**

**Jesse smirked, "Sorry? I feel good, man. I feel connected to everything."**

**Bridge struggled to close the door as the vamps began piling onto it. Jesse devoted his attention to Jack, "I can hear the worms in the earth!"**

**Jack wrinkled his nose, "That's a plus."**

"**I know what the Master wants, what he needs. I'll serve his purpose. That means, you die and I feed." He advanced onto Jack and Bridge was too busy trying to close the door to help him.**

"**Jack, the cross," he yelled. Jack jerked a bit but held up the cross anyway, causing Jesse to stop advancing.**

"**Jesse, we're buds, remember?" Jack pleaded with him. The new vampire simply snarled at him.**

"**You're a shadow to me now."**

"**Then get outta my face!" Jack yelled.**

**Jesse hissed and then knocked his arm to the side, causing Jack to crash into the wall. Before he could bite him, Bridge grabbed from behind and threw him out of the chamber into the other vampires, knocking them all over. He attempted to shut the door again, "Help me!" Jack came over and they managed to shut and lock it. The vamps pounded at the door.**

"**We need to get out of here," Bridge said, breathlessly.**

"**There is no **_**out**_** of here!" Jack yelled. He used his flashlight to find a grate on the ceiling, "There!"**

**Bridge jumped on top of the barrel and then pried it out, while the vamps had nearly broken down the door. He then leaped down and gave Jack a boost up into the ventilation grate. The vamps broke down the door at the same time as Jack grabbed the Slayer's hand and pulled him behind him.**

"**That was close!" Jack let out a sigh of relief. Bridge hit him on the shoulder.**

"**We're not out of the woods yet!" he sighed and began crawling after Jack. They reached an open room and spotted a ladder leading out a manhole and Jack began climbing it, with Bridge following. A vampire ran in after them. Jack pushed open the manhole and climbed out into the daylight before turning to help Bridge.**

"**Jack, pull!" Bridge yelled as the vamp grabbed his ankle and tried to pull him back down. The human pulled and the vamp's hand was exposed to sunlight, forcing him to let go as Bridge and Jack tumbled to the ground.**

**Dl**

"**He escaped? He walks free when I could be drinking his heart's blood? How careless!" the Master said in a smooth calm voice.**

**The vampire who had grabbed Bridge, Colin, spoke up, "Master, we had her trapped!"**

"**Now, you'll make excuses?" he snarled. Colin remained silent and the Master continued. "You're all weak! You haven't faced off against the Slayer in a while. He will not stop the Harvest! Just means someone worth killing when I walk the surface. Is Luke ready?"**

"**He waits."**

"**Bring him to me." Colin turned to get Luke but the Master stopped him. "You failed me. Tell me you're sorry."**

"**I'm sorry Master!" Colin bowed.**

"**There, that wasn't so bad, was it? Hold on," he stabbed his fingers into Colin's face, "you have something in your eye."**

**Dl**

**Meanwhile, in the library, Cruger was researching when he saw Z come in.**

"**Any word?" she asked and Cruger shook his head. "I found some stuff," she offered.**

"**What did you find?" he asked, his interest piqued.**

"**Back in '37, there was a massive earthquake and several months before that, there were a rash of murders."**

"**Great!" Cruger exclaimed, taking the printouts from here and then winced. "I-I mean, not 'great' in a good way, uh, um, can we go on?"**

"**They sound like the kind you were looking for," Z tried to hide the amusement in her voice. "Throats, blood, ugh," she shuddered slightly.**

"**It's all coming together, though I wish it wasn't," Cruger sighed.**

**Dl**

**In the Master's lair, Luke knelt in front of the Master, who offered the underside of his wrist to him. Darla watched and smiled as Luke opened the cuff and sank his fangs into his wrist. After drinking a bit, he released the wrist and move back.**

"**My blood is your blood. My soul is your soul," the Master quoted.**

"**My body is your instrument," Luke finished, bowing. The Master drew a three-pointed star on Luke's forehead with the blood still flowing from his wrist.**

"**On this . . . most hallowed night . . .we are as one. Luke is the Vessel! Every soul he takes, feeds me. That will help me in attaining my freedom. Tonight I shall walk the earth and the stars will hide."**

**Dl**

**Z looked up as the door opened to reveal Bridge and Jack.**

"**Did you find Jesse?" she asked.**

**Bridge nodded with a sullen look, "Yeah."**

"**Was he . . . dead?" she asked hesitantly, walking up to them. Bridge bowed his head and sat down at the edge of the table.**

"**Worse. I'm sorry, Z. There were too many of them and they were expecting us."**

"**At least you two are okay," Z said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Jack chose this moment to kick a waste-basket, startling them.**

"**I hate vampires! I'm going to take a guess and say they aren't good!"**

**Bridge turned to Cruger who was walking down the stairs, "Any news that can make this worse?"**

"**How about the end of the world?" he asked blandly.**

"**Knew I could count on you," Bridge responded in the same tone.**

"**Years ago, a very old, very powerful vampire settled here-"**

"**Cause this town in a mystical who's it?"**

"**Um, yes, the Spanish who came here called it the Mouth of Hell. It's a portal between this reality and the next. This vampire hopes to open it."**

"**Bring the demons back," Bridge added.**

"**End of the world," Jack finished.**

"**But he failed!" Z tried to cheer them up, "There was an earthquake that swallowed half the town **_**and**_** him!"**

"**Opening portals is a tricky business," Cruger added, "he got himself stuck like a cork in a bottle."**

"**So this Harvest thing is for him to come out," Bridge pondered.**

"**Yes. The Master requires souls for strength and since he can't come out himself, he sends another vampire, the Vessel, instead. The Vessel has this symbol," he pointed to a three-pointed star."**

"**So I slay this Vessel and the Harvest fails?' Bridge looked at him.**

"**Yes," Cruger nodded.**

"**Where does it take place?"**

"**There are a number of possibilities."**

"**They're going to the Bronze," Jack said suddenly.**

"**How do you know?" Z asked.**

"**Come on! So many young, tasty morsels oblivious to danger? Jesse is gonna be there," Jack added bitterly.**

"**We should get over there. Sundown is soon," Cruger grab bed his coat and left the library with the others.**

"**I have to make a stop!" Bridge announced.**

"**Why?"**

"**Supplies."**

**Dl**

**Bridge grabbed a black jacket from his closet and headed to his drawers when Maya walked in.**

"**Mom?" Bridge questioned.**

"**You're not going out today," she said.**

"**Why?" Bridge exclaimed.**

"**I got a call from the principal. We haven't even started unpacking and you're cutting class!"**

"**Mr. Cruger asked me to run an errand," Bridge protested. It was true if you thought about it.**

"**No. The tapes say I should get used to saying it."**

"**Mom, this is really important! I have to go!" Bridge nearly yelled.**

"**It's important. The world depends upon you when you're a sixteen year old boy?" Maya shot back. Bridge remained silent and she continued, not knowing the how much her words affected her son. "If you want to stay up here, I understand. If you come down, I'll make us some dinner," she left.**

**Bridge stared at the closed door and then quietly locked it before opening his drawer and withdrawing the fake bottom, revealing crosses, stakes, holy water, garlic and other vampire slaying things. He donned his jacket after taking what he needed and then climbed out of the window, landing in a soft crouch outside. he looked back at his home.**

_**Yes it does, mom,**_** he thought. **_**The world does depend upon you when you're a sixteen year old Slayer.**_

**Dl**

**Meanwhile, in the Bronze, Syd was talking to a girl, "Senior boys are the ay to go. Guys from our grade, they're kids! Like Jesse. Did you see him? He was following me around all night like a puppy dog! You might wanna out him to sleep. But senior boys have mystery. They have . . . cars!"**

**The girl interrupted, "You know, I think-"**

"**Hello, Miss Motormouth? Can I get in a word?" Syd asked in disbelief, unaware that Jesse was watching her. The band began to play 'Ballad for Dead Friends'. Jesse took her hand and led to the dance floor.**

"**Hey, hello, Caveman Brain, what are you doing?" Syd protested.**

"**Shut up!" Jesse snarled at her, surprising her.**

"**Well, just one dance," she followed him.**

**Outside, Darla came out of the shadows with a bouncy walk. After looking about, she gestured behind her and the other vampires came out and walked towards the entrance, all in game-face. **

**(A/N vamp-face and game-face are the yellow eyes, ridges in the forehead and fangs. All vampires have that look)**

**Dl**

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"**Need ID," the bouncer spoke without looking up. "Nobody gets inside unless I get some sorta-" he was silenced by Luke growling in his face.**

"**Get inside," the Vessel snarled.**

**The other vampires rushed in through the door, while another part came in through the back and cut the main power.**

**The lights went off inside the Bronze and the teenagers moaned and complained, but they were quickly silenced as Luke stepped up to the only lit area, the stage, and spoke into the mike.**

"**There is no need to panic," he said with a demonic grin, "Actually there is need to panic, but it won't do any good."**

**The a few people in the crowd screamed at his face, but Syd simply whispered to Jesse, "I thought there wasn't going to be a band tonight." She looked at him and gasped n fright as he morphed into his game-face.**

"**This is a glorious night," Luke continued, "also the last night you will ever see! Bring the first!" The bouncer was brought to him and Luke wrapped his hand around his throat and his other arm around his head.**

"**Watch me people," he roared. "Fear is like an elixir. It's almost like blood!" He bit on the doorman and began to feed. Meanwhile, the Master felt strength pouring into him as the first soul was taken. Luke dropped the doorman's body and turned to the crowd.**

"**Next!**

**Dl**

**Bridge and his team came running up to the door and he tried the door. "It's locked!" he hissed.**

"**We're too late!" Cruger sighed and Bridge looked over at him.**

"**I didn't know I was gonna get grounded!" he snapped.**

"**Can you break it down?" Jack interjected.**

"**No, not that thing," Bridge sighed. If nothing was done, all this would be his fault. "You guys try the back. I'll find my own way in."**

"**Right. Come on," Cruger ordered but was stopped by his Slayer.**

"**Here," he tossed the bag to them, "get the exit cleared and get the people out. That's it, don't go Wild Bunch on me!"**

"**See you inside," Cruger nodded and Bridge jumped up, grabbing a ledge and pulling himself up. The others ran to the back door and Z tried to turn it, to no avail.**

"**It's locked!" she cried.**

"**We got to get in there before Jesse does dumber than usual!" Jack's tone took on a desperate edge. Cruger turned to him, eyes blazing.**

"**You listen to me! Jesse is dead! You have to remember that when you're seeing him, you're not looking at your friend. You're looking at the thing that killed him!"**

**Dl**

**The Master tested his confines while Luke fed on another girl.**

"**Almost free!" the Master whispered.**

**Luke finished with the girl and dropped her. Darla attempted to pull Syd away from Jesse but he didn't allow her.**

"**This one's mine!" he snarled.**

"**They're all for the Master!" she hissed and pulled her away. Meanwhile, Bridge broke in through an upper window and crawled in, watching Luke from the rafters.**

"**The Master is nearly free! Give me another!" he grinned.**

"**The Vessel," Bridge whispered. He turned as he heard a growl and saw a vampire on the rafters behind him.**

"**Tonight is the ascension! Tonight will be history at it's end! Degradation most Holy!" Luke looked at the crowd, "No volunteers?"**

**Darla brought Syd up to him, "Here's a pretty one."**

**Syd screamed at his face and Luke caressed her face with his hand. He lowered his mouth to her neck and suddenly, a vampire landed near them with a thud. Bridge jumped down to the upper level of the Bronze and glared at Luke.**

"**Oh, I'm sorry. Were you in the middle of something?" he asked cluelessly.**

"**YOU!" Luke snarled.**

"**Didn't think I'd miss this, did you?"**

"**I hoped you'd come."**

"**Be right down!"**

**Bridge grabbed the railing with one hand and flipped over it to land on his feet on a pool table. A vampire attacked from the right and he did a cartwheel away from him, grabbing a pool cue on the way. He landed and thrust into the vampire's chest, turning to Luke as he turned to dust.**

"**Okay, Vessel boy, still want blood?" Bridge asked, taking off his jacket, exposing his neck in the t-shirt.**

"**I want yours!" he growled, releasing Syd.**

"**Works for me!" Bridge said with a shrug.**

**The Slayer flipped up onto the stage and launched a spinning roundhouse kick, causing Luke to stagger into a bunch of chairs. He roared and swung at him, only to have Bridge block and hold onto his arm while kneeing him in the abdomen three times. He grabbed his stake and lunged at him, only to have Luke stop him and throw him into the wall, causing him to lose his stake.**

**Dl**

**Cruger, Jack and Z managed to break into the Bronze and began ushering people out. Jack spotted Bridge being heaved against the wall and moved forward, only to stop as he got up again.**

"**Come on, let's go!" he yelled at some of the people.**

**Bridge spun and delivered a backhand to Luke's face, knocking him into a pile of boxes. He turned to see a vamp grab Jack and grabbed a cymbal from a drum set and threw at the vamp like a Frisbee. Jack saw it coming and ducked, causing it to decapitate the vampire.**

"**Heads up!" Jack quipped, earning a chuckle from Bridge. Luke grabbed the Slayer from behind.**

**Jesse pinned Syd to the floor and attempted to bite her while she struggled to get him off.**

"**Hold still! You're not making this easy!" Jesse snarled. Jack came up behind him, stake in hand.**

"**Jesse, don't make me do this!" he warned, unable to bring himself to kill his friend.**

"**Buddy!" Jesse sneered.**

**Dl**

**Luke held onto Bridge tightly as the Slayer attempted to free his arms.**

"**I always wanted to kill a Slayer," Luke whispered in his ear, causing him to shudder.**

**Cruger and Z ushered more people out and the Watcher headed to the stairs, Darla behind him.**

"**We're going to have to open the front as well," he managed to say before she attacked him from behind.**

**Jack faced off against Jesse, still trying to appeal to his friend, "Jesse, I know there's a part of you in there!"**

"**Okay, let's deal with this. Jesse was an excruciating loser who get a date with anyone in the sighted community. I'm a new man!" the vamp snarled.**

**Luke looked up, "Master, take a taste of this . . . and be free!" He roared and lowered his fangs to Bridge's neck. The Slayer snapped his head back, head-butting him in face, knocking him off. Bridge turned to him, winded.**

"**How'd it taste?" he smirked.**

**Cruger struggled with Darla and Z ran up to him, throwing holy water in her face, causing her to scream and she fled from the club.**

**Jesse grabbed Jack by the jacket and shoved him against the wall, the human having a stake pointed at his friend's chest.**

"**Ooo, put me out of my misery!" Jesse mocked and then smirked, "you don't have the guts."**

**A fleeing patron bumped into Jesse, causing him to surge forward into Jack's stake. Jack stared as his friend fell, ashes before he hit the floor.**

**Bridge grabbed a microphone stand and faced Luke, who chuckled.**

"**Metal can't hurt me!"**

"**There's something you forgot. Sunrise!" Bridge threw the stand at the window behind Luke and broke it, causing light to stream in. Bridge spotted the stake he dropped and grabbed it. Luke realised that the light was only a bright lamp and turned, only to be stabbed by Bridge.**

"**It's in about another nine hours, moron!" the Slayer smirked as Luke turned to dust. In the lair, the Master fell to his knees, feeling Luke's death.**

"**Nooooo!" he screamed.**

**Bridge glared at the remaining vamps which fled from the Bronze. They passed by Sky who was standing outside behind some crates. He watched them run and then looked back at where they came from.**

"**He did it! I'll be damned!" he chuckled and walked away.**

**Back in the Bronze, the others had regrouped.**

"**Did we win?" Z asked tentatively.**

"**Apocalypse averted. I'd say 'Hell yeah'!" Bridge grinned**

"**One's things for sure. Things are never going to be the same," Jack looked at the spot where he had inadvertently staked Jesse.**

**Dl**

"**Can you believe them?" Bridge shook his head as he walked with Jack, Z and Cruger.**

"**People tend to rationalize what they can and forget what they can't," Cruger nodded.**

"**Believe me, I've seen it happen," Bridge nodded.**

"**Well, I'll never forget what happened," Willow looked at Bridge and smiled at him.**

"**Good! Next time you'll be ready!" Cruger looked at them.**

"**Next time?" Z looked at him.**

"**Next time why?" Jack asked as well.**

"**Surely you don't think this is the end? we prevented the Master from being freed now, that doesn't mean he won't try again! I'd say the fun is just beginning," Cruger said distastefully.**

"**More vamps?" Bridge asked, groaning and running a hand through his sweaty hair, wincing as he touched a bruise from the fight.**

"**Not just vampires! The next threat may be quite different," he said mysteriously.**

"**I can hardly wait!' Jack rolled his eyes.**

"**We are on the mouth of Hell. We stand between the earth and destruction."**

"**Well, I gotta look on the bright side. Maybe I can still get kicked out of school!" Bridge said enthusiastically as he Jack and Z went on while Cruger stopped.**

"**Oh yeah, that's a plan! Because most schools aren't on Hellmouths!' Jack added, throwing an arm around Bridge's shoulders and the other around Z's.**

"**Maybe you could blow something up! They're rather strict about that!" Z interjected.**

"**I was thinking of a more subtle approach like excessive non-studying," Bridge said with mock-seriousness.**

**Cruger sighed and turned to go to the library, "The earth is doomed."**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**A/N Aaand The Harvest is finished! Sky had a bigger role and his relationship with Bridge will increase over time, as will Jack's attraction to the Slayer. Please review, good or bad, always appreciated!**


	3. The Witch

**Disclaimer: See previous answer.**

**Episode Three: Witch**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Dl**

"**This is madness!" Cruger was clearly upset, "What were you thinking? You are the Slayer! People's lives depend on you! I make allowances for your youth, but I expect a certain amount of responsibility and instead you enslave yourself to this . . . this . . . Cult?!"**

**Bridge glanced down at what he was wearing, a black t-shirt with the Sunnydale logo on it and blue jeans, the school colors. "You don't like the color?" he questioned.**

"**I d. . ." Cruger sighed in exasperation, ""Do you, um . . ." he put some books on the cart. "Do you ignore everything I say as a rule?"**

"**No I believe that's your trick," Bridge frowned, crossing his arms. Cruger wheeled the car to the counter and Bridge skipped in front of him.**

"**I told you, I'm trying out for the dance club," the Slayer said.**

"**You have a sacred birthright, Bridge," Cruger sighed. "You were chosen to slay vampires, not . . . flail on a wooden floor to music! As your Watcher, I forbid it."**

"**And you'll be stopping me how?" Bridge grinned slightly.**

"**Well, I will appeal to your common sense, if such a creature exists," Cruger crossed his arms, sitting at the edge of the table.**

"**Look, this wasn't even my idea," he sighed. "Flutie told me I need to do some extracurricular activities. I needed something physical and being the Slayer, I can't do a sport that could injure me and my Slayer strength would make the competition unfair anyway, so it was either joining the dance club or joining the cheerleading squad!"**

"**You took . . ." he trailed off.**

"**Dance club. I have **_**some**_** pride, you know."**

**Dl**

**A woman moved around in darkness in an attic, flowers and herbs were left hanging to dry in the rafters and personal items with identification tags. The witch moved to her cauldron and waved a pendent on a chain over the brew before pulling it back. She walked over to the hanging objects and took one of the dolls hanging there.**

**Dl**

**Girls and boys were stretching for the dance club tryouts when Bridge, Jack and Z walked in. **

"**Cruger didn't approve huh?" Z asked.**

"**He totally lost his water," Bridge rolled his eyes. "We haven't seen a vamp in a week. I'd say he should get a girlfriend if he weren't so old!"**

**Jack came up behind him, "People scoff about lack of school spirit and look at these guys, giving it their all!" He watched one of the girls, Amber, do the splits in between two chairs and grinned, "Ooh, stretchy. Where was I?"**

"**You were pretending that seeing girls was a spiritual experience," Z said blandly.**

"**Who said I was pretending?" he grinned at Z and then turned to Bridge, taking something from his pocket, "this is a good luck thing for the try-outs."**

**Bridge took the bracelet from him, "What's this?" he asked at the same time Z asked, "What's that?"**

"**Charm bracelet," he said, blushing slightly.**

"**How sweet!" Bridge looked at the engraving, " 'Yours always'."**

"**I-I-It came that way," Jack stammered, "they all said that!" Bridge simply gave him a smile and put on the bracelet while Jack let out a sigh of relief.**

**Joy, the head of the club, stepped up with a clip board.**

"**Okay, let's begin with," she looked at the board, "Amber Grove. If you're not trying out, move off the floor.**

**Z looked to her side and saw a red-headed girl smiling at her, "Amy, hi!"**

"**Hi!" Amy grinned.**

"**I didn't know you wanted to be in the dance club! You've lost a bunch of weight!"**

"**Had to."**

"**Do you know Bridge?" she gestured to the blue-eyed teen standing next to her.**

"**Hi!" Bridge grinned, giving her a small wave.**

"**Hey," Amy grinned back and then turned to look at Amber, "I heard she trained with coach Benson. He's the best coach money can buy!"**

"**They have dance coaches?" Bridge cocked his head.**

"**Oh yeah! My mom is my trainer. We practice three hours in the morning, three in the night."**

"**Him, that much quality time with my mom would lead to quality matricide," Bridge quipped.**

**Syd looked at Amber with contempt, then turned her back, while Bridge and Jack watched Amber in amazement. Z and Amy also were impressed, when suddenly, Amber's hands began to smoke.**

"**That girl's on fire!" Z gawked.**

"**Enough of the hyperbole!" Syd snapped, not seeing the smoke since she **

**was facing away.**

**Amber's hands caught fire and she screamed. Bridge reacted by running to the stands and he grabbed a banner. He knocked Amber down and suffocated the flames with the banner while everyone stared in shock.**

"**It's okay, you're gonna be okay," he whispered, holding the frightened girl tightly as she sobbed into his shoulder. "God," he whispered, too softly for her to hear.**

**Dl**

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**Dl**

"**Okay, I've been slaying vamps for over a year now and I've seen some pretty cringe-worthy things, but . . . nobody's hands have been toasted before!" Bridge rambled as he paced along the library.**

"**I imagine not," Cruger came out of the stacks.**

"**So this isn't a vampire problem," Bridge continued.**

"**No."**

"**But it is funky right? Not of the norm?" Bridge crossed his arms.**

"**Quite. Spontaneous human combustion is, rare and, scientifically unexplainable, but there have been cases for hundreds of years. Usually all that's left is a pile of ashes," Cruger informed.**

"**Which is what would have been left if Bridge hadn't stepped in," Z informed.**

"**So we have no idea what caused this. That's a comfort," Jack said sarcastically.**

"**But that's the thrill of living on the Hellmouth!" Cruger sat down on one end of the table. "There's a veritable cornucopia of fiends and demons and ghouls to engage . . ." he trailed off at the blank looks he was being given by Jack and Z and the amused grin from Bridge. "Pardon me for finding the glass half full."**

"**Oh-kay! Any common denominators in cases of spontaneous combustion?" Bridge asked.**

"**Uh, rage. In most cases, the person who combusted was terribly angry or upset."**

"**So maybe Amber's got this power to set herself on fire. Kinda like the Human Torch, except it hurts!" Jack offered.**

"**I need to get the skinny on Amber. See if she's had these hot episodes before," Bridge leant forward on the table.**

"**Ooh, that means illegal hacking into the school's student records on the computer. Finally, something I **_**can**_** do!" Z sat down in front of the computer.**

"**I'll ask around about her," Jack offered.**

"**You guys don't have to get involved," Bridge protested.**

"**What do you mean? We're a team! Aren't we a team?" Jack turned to Z.**

"**Yeah! You're the Slayer, we're the . . . Slayerettes!" she said enthusiastically.**

"**I just don't want to put you guys in danger," Bridge said softly. "Not like I've done to so many others," he added quietly so that they didn't hear the last part.**

"**Oh, huh, I laugh in the face of danger! Then I hide until it goes away," Jack quipped, prompting a laugh from Bridge and Z.**

**Dl**

**Bridge came home to and saw Maya attempt to pry open one of the several wooden crates strewn around the house.**

"**How was school?" Maya asked her son as she attempted to open the box.**

"**A reverent joy. What's all this?" Bridge peered over her shoulder.**

"**It's for the tribal art display," Maya wiped her brow.**

"**Cool! We had tryouts today," Bridge examined a piece.**

"**How'd it go?"**

"**I didn't actually get to try out," he admitted. "There was a bad accident. Pretty fierce competition."**

"**You'll do fine. Keep on plugging, get back on the horse," she rattled off distractedly.**

"**Mom?"**

"**Yeah?"**

"**What did I try out for?"**

"**Um, uh," she stopped prying at the crate and gave her son an apologetic look. "Sorry, honey, I don't know. Some activity?"**

"**That's okay. Your platitudes are good for all occasions," Bridge gave her a sympathetic smile.**

"**I'm distracted," she exhaled as she tried to open the crate. "Gotta a lotta inventory to go through here, grunt the gallery's first opening," she gave up and turned to Bridge. "You know it might not kill you to help me here," she went to get her clipboard and Bridge grabbed the crate-lid, using his Slayer strength to easily break it off.**

"**Dance club," he informed.**

"**Glad you're taking that up. It'll keep you out of trouble," she came back.**

"**I'm not in trouble."**

"**Not yet," Maya saw the hurt look on her son's face, "I mean, you stopped participating in school activities before the trouble, it's nice to know you went back." She lifted up one of the statues partially, "Oh dear . . ."**

"**What?"**

"**It's the fertility statue, you don't need to see it," she put it back and left the room. Bridge poked his head out of the door to see if she was gone before peeking at the statue.**

"**Jeepers!" he gawked, dropping it back inside.**

**Dl**

"**Despite what happened yesterday, you still have to try out for the team. Those who make the squad, names will be posted on the board after lunch," Joy informed.**

"**Why do my hands have to sweat when I'm nervous?" Amy asked Bridge and he gave her a reassuring smile.**

"**You'll do great."**

**They stood near Syd and were told to try a cartwheel. Bridge did it with ease, but Amy blew it and crashed into Syd who yelped as she hit the ground.**

"**You saw that right?" Syd asked Joy.**

**After the tryouts, Amy was standing in front of the trophy case and was gazing at the dancing trophy. Bridge came up next to her and she pointed at a picture.**

"**That's my mom," she said sadly.**

"**No!" he read the inscription, "Catherine Madison."**

"**Her nickname was Catherine the Great. Took that team and made them the tri-county champs. Only she could do that. She and my dad were Homecoming King and Queen. Got married after graduation."**

"**That's romantic," Bridge offered.**

"**Well he was a big loser. Never made any money. Ran off with Miss Trailer Trash when I was twelve."**

"**That's less romantic. My folks split up too," Bridge sighed.**

"**Drag, huh? He left my mom with nothing at all. She put herself through cosmetology school. Bought me everything I wanted," she shook her head, "And never gained a single pound. I want to be like her so much. I choked! I'm gonna get replaced!"**

"**No, you did fine," Bridge tried to reassure her but she walked away. Z came up from behind him.**

"**Hey! What's up with Amy?" she asked.**

"**She's wiggin about her mom. Big dance queen," he sighed.**

"**Yeah, her mom's kinda . . ." she tried to think of a world.**

"**Nazi?" the Slayer offered.**

"**Heil. If she gains an ounce, she padlocks the fridge and won't eat anything but broth."**

"**So, mommy dearest is really . . . Mommy Dearest?" Bridge winced at the thought of nothing but broth to eat.**

"**There's a bitter streak, but Amy's really nice. She used to come to my house when her mom went on a broth kick and we'd pig out on brownies!" she giggled and they walked down the hall. Bridge put a friendly arm around her shoulder.**

"**Any word on Amber?"**

"**Average student, sent to detention once for smoking. With a cigarette, not being smoky! All pretty normal."**

"**So we'll just have to wait. Hopefully nothing else will happen," Bridge sighed and then thought, **_**Yeah right.**_

**Dl**

**Amy turned around the corner, only to come face to face with Syd.**

"**I have a dream," the snobby girl said. "It's to be in the dancing club, adored by every male on the varsity. We have to achieve our dreams or else we wither . . . and die!"**

"**Listen I'm so-" Syd cut off Amy's apology.**

"**If you're supreme klutziness takes me out of the team, you're going to be **_**so**_** very beyond sorry," she smiled, "have a nice day."**

**Syd left her then and walked off. Amy saw Syd's scrunchie fall on the floor and she picked it up, fingering it before leaving in the opposite direction of Syd.**

**Dl**

"**I told Bridge about Amber," Z informed Jack as they walked to the board where the results of the dance club were posted.**

"**Good," Jack responded without interest and then turned to Z, "He was wearing it right? The bracelet, he was wearing it, right? Kinda like we were going out."**

"**Except without the hugging, kissing and him knowing about it part," she sighed and then looked at her childhood friend. "Jack, if you wanna date Bridge, ask him! You know that he's interested in guys and you're interested in both!"**

"**I should ask him out, right?" Jack asked. Z gave him an incredulous look.**

"**What do you think I just said?"**

"**That's why you're so cool! You're like a guy! You're my girl friend who knows about guy stuff!" Jack threw an arm around her shoulder.**

"**Oh great, I'm a guy," Z said with sarcasm.**

"**They're posting the list!" Jack pointed at the board. He ran off where Bridge and Amy were standing as another girl who's name wasn't on the list ran off. A guy whose name was on the list and she cheered.**

"**Cover me, I'm going in!" Jack made his way through the people. Syd came up to Bridge and Amy and addressed her, "You're in luck."**

"**I made it?" Amy asked.**

"**No, **_**I**_** made it!" Syd gloated and walked off. Jack made his way back, getting hit on the way.**

"**One of those girls hit me really hard! They should check for steroids! Okay, not only did you make the team, but you, Bridge Carson, are the first alternate and Amy's number three!"**

**Bridge and Amy looked at each other, sadness reflecting on the girl's face before she walked off while Jack continued, "And what better way to celebrate than a drive through-"**

"**Jack, alternates are the ones who didn't make the team, they only fill in for those who did!" Z smacked his arm as she watched Bridge go after Amy.**

**Jack looked rather downtrodden after that, "For I am Jack, the King of Cretins. May all other cretins bow before me."**

**Bridge caught up with Amy, "At least it's over! Now, you know what we should do about it? Brownie pig-out, my house, after school!"**

**Amy looked at him with tears in her eyes and Bridge simply sighed and gave her a hug as she cried into his shoulder, "How many more hours can I practice? How much more can I do?" she pulled away from him. "Such a thing would never happen to mom. Never," she walked off while Bridge looked at her back sadly.**

**Dl**

**A woman stood in the attic of her home with dolls strung up behind her along with a bunch of personal items of others and stirred the brew in her cauldron.**

"**Give me the power. Give me the dark," she reached for another doll on her rack.**

"**I call on you, the laughing gods," she yanked one off the rack.**

"**Let your blackness crawl beneath my skin," she wrapped Syd's scrunchie around the doll's head.**

"**Accept thy sacrifice . . . of Sydney. Feed on her."**

**She dropped the doll into the brew.**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Bridge pulled out a piece of toast from the toaster and walked to the central table in the kitchen to spread the butter (wiggle the fingers) on it, when Maya walked in with a book.**

"**Look what I found! It's my old college year-book! Here I am!" she pointed out a picture as she showed the book to her son.**

**Bridge raise an eyebrow, "Mom, I've accepted the fact that you've had sex. I'm not ready to accept the fact that you had Farrah hair!"**

"**This is Gidget hair! Don't they teach you anything in history?" Maya frowned.**

"**Well, it's cool, but I gotta scoot," he went to the fridge.**

"**Well, I was thinking that since the dance thing didn't work out, maybe you could join the yearbook staff. I did and it was loads of fun!"**

"**Not really my thing, mom," Bridge said apologetically as he spread the butter on his toast.**

"**I was, uh, photo editor. Got to be on every page and it made me seem a lot popular than I was," Maya said convincingly.**

"**Mom, have you seen the guys who do the yearbook these days? Nerds pick on them!"**

"**Some of the best times I had in school were during my time as on the yearbook staff!" Maya sounded insulted.**

**Bridge let out an exasperated sigh and turned to her, "Okay, this just in: I am not you! I'm into my own thing!"**

"**Your own thing, whatever it was, got you kicked out of school and we had to move here to find a decent school that would accept you!" Maya yelled and immediately regretted it as she saw the look of pain on her son's face.**

"**I have to go," Bridge said bitterly and grabbed his bag.**

"**Honey, uhh," he was out the door in seconds and she sighed, "Great parenting form, little shaky on the dismount."**

**Dl**

**Syd walked past Jack and Z in a daze and the male teen raise an eyebrow, "Syd, you haven't been mean to me all day! Is it something I've done?" He turned to his friend, "See how she has no clue that I'm a mammal, much less a human being?"**

"**I see that," Z took the pen from her mouth.**

"**The invisible man syndrome. A blessing in Syd's case, a curse in Bridge's," Jack sighed.**

"**You're not invisible to Bridge!" Z patted him on the back while chewing her pen again.**

"**It's worse! It's like I'm a piece of scenery, like an old shoe. Or an old carpet which you walk on everyday but don't see!"**

"**Or like an old pen that's all chewed up and you know you should throw it away, but you don't, not because you like it so much, but because you're just used to-" Z fell silent at the look on Jack's face.**

"**I know, you don't have to beat over the head with a railroad spike! I'm going to take your advice and not beat around the bush!" Jack thumped his fist against his chest.**

"**I could be wrong. Maybe you should beat around the bush a bit more," Z suggested.**

"**Nah," Jack shook his head, "I gotta be a man and ask him out. Y'know, I gotta stop giving him ID bracelets, uh, subtle innuendoes, taking Polaroids outside his bedroom window late at night, that last part is a joke to relieve tension cause here he comes," he pointed at the Slayer who was coming out of the classroom.**

"**Okay, into battle I go!" Jack took a deep breath and then grabbed Z by the shoulders, "Ask him out for me!"**

**Bridge passed Syd who was trying to open her locker and gave her an odd glance while Jack attempted to pull himself together.**

"**No," he let go, "Me battle," he turned to Bridge who had reached them by the that time, "Bridge, would you like to-"**

"**Is that even Sydney's locker?" Bridge interrupted him with thumb-jerk at Syd. Jack and Z looked at Syd who gave up and continued down the hall.**

"**Huh? Oh I don't know. Anyway, would you like to accompany me Friday night-"**

**Bridge didn't hear him and frowned at how Syd seemed to be walking in a daze. He cut Jack off again and gave him his book, "Uh, Jack, can we make this up later? You don't mind?" He took off after Syd. Jack whistled the sound of a bomb falling and exploding while Z looked at him and continued chewing her pen.**

**Bridge began to follow Syd outside and saw her heading towards the Driver's Ed teacher, Mr. Pole. The man saw her coming and let out a sigh.**

"**Are you ready to start? I hope I haven't kept you waiting?" he said sarcastically.**

"**Mr. pole, I don't wanna drive today," Syd mumbled. Bridge frowned at the depressed tone of her voice, hiding behind a school bus.**

"**You've flunked this class twice. Pass this time or you're taking the bus to college," he frowned.**

**Syd and he got into the car and she tried to start it, which she did after a couple times. She pressed down on the accelerator and the car backed into some cones and signs before moving forward again, burning rubber.**

"**What the?" Bridge took off after them, but remained hidden.**

**Syd lost control of the car and it swerved off the course, through some bushes and the fence and got onto the road. Another car swerved to avoid getting hit.**

"**Brakes, brakes!' Mr. Pole yelled. Syd pressed down, causing the car to stop. They got out and Syd, in a daze, walked out into the streets into the path of an oncoming truck. She screamed and Bridge leaped over the Driver's Ed car, managing to tackle Syd and get her out of the way of the truck.**

"**Oh, oh my God, I can't see anything!" Syd cried out against him.**

"**It's, it's okay, it's-" he stopped as he saw her eyes which were completely white with no irises. "Oh God."**

**Dl**

"**Witchcraft! Of course, removing sight of the enemy, it's ingenious!" Cruger exclaimed**

"**First vamps, now witches! No wonder you can still afford a house in this place!" Jack grumbled.**

"**Why would someone want to harm Sydney?" Bridge pondered.**

"**Maybe cause they met her and did I say that?" Z looked shocked.**

"**And setting Amber ablaze?"**

"**Yeah . . . those guys don't hang-"**

"**They're both dancers!" Jack exclaimed and then looked shocked, "Did I just figure something out?"**

"**Someone doesn't like dancers," Cruger pondered.**

"**Or likes it too much . . ." trailed off.**

"**Amy!" Bridge and Z exclaimed together.**

"**So you guys are leaning towards Amy?" Jack said dryly.**

"**She's desperate to get on the team and I've got this feeling that she'll do anything to make her mom's dream come true," Bridge frowned.**

"**Uh, let me make sure I have this right. This witch is casting horrible, disfiguring spells to make it on the dance team?" Cruger almost laughed at the sheer absurdity of the situation.**

"**I think you're underestimating the pressure a parent can lay on you. If you're not a carbon copy of perfect, they tend to wig," Bridge muttered softly. Cruger gave him a sad glance which he missed.**

"**Still, we have to stop Amy. We should grab her and-" Jack was interrupted by Cruger.**

"**We should make sure that she's the witch first."**

**Bridge opened his mouth, but Z beat him to the punch, "How do we do that?"**

"**Um, here's something!" Cruger read out of a text, "The duck pond! You throw her in. If she floats, she's a witch, if she drowns, she's innocent." He saw the looks on their faces and shrugged sheepishly, "Some of my texts are a bit outdated."**

"**She's the witch, no doubt," Bridge said with certainty. He looked at Cruger, "I've been getting a bad vibe from her ever since I saw her after the results."**

"**We're forgetting something! Bridge is in danger now!" Jack exclaimed. They looked at him and he clarified, "You were the first alternate. Now that Syd is out, you're on the team!"**

"**Bridge is her friend! She wouldn't do that, would she?" Z looked uncertain.**

**Outside the library, Amy stopped listening to the conversation and opened her hand, revealing the bracelet Jack had given Bridge. She had found it on the floor in front of his locker and was about to give it back when she overheard them talking. After school, she went home and saw her mother in front of the TV. Catherine turned it off and got up to face her daughter.**

"**Another useless afternoon in front of the TV?" Amy asked coldly. She threw her bag at her mother's feet. "I have a history report due tomorrow. Write it!" She opened her hand to reveal the bracelet and smirked at the horrified look on Catherine's face.**

"**I'll be upstairs."**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**An alarm rang out and then it was smashed into a pancake by a fist. **

"**Oops," Bridge muttered, feeling oddly ecstatic for some reason. He quickly changed into a black T-shirt and blue jeans before bounding out of his room and into the kitchen where he spotted his mother squeezing out some orange juice. He grabbed a glass, drank it and then grinned.**

"**Quality juice, not concentrate!" he said giddily.**

"**You're in a good mood," Maya commented.**

"**Why shouldn't I be?" he asked with a wide grin.**

"**Listen, Bridge about yesterday . . ."**

"**Don't worry about it!" Bridge waved her off, "It's not like you were wrong, I did get kicked out of school. I'm just wacky in that way. There's something about being a Vampire Slayer that the older generation-"**

"**A what?" Maya turned to him and Bridge quickly back-tracked.**

"**Long story!"**

"**Are you feeling alright?" she narrowed her eyes at him.**

"**What? Oh I'm fine, y'know? What can I, like, not be in a good mood? Is it, like, a new house rule? Fine, y'know. It's just fine, fine, fine!" he practically skipped out of the house, leaving Maya to wonder about what had happened.**

**Dl**

**At school, Bridge came up to Jack and Z from behind and yelled, "BOO!" causing both of them to jump and give him a glare.**

"**Any reason for that?" Z manage to get out and raised an eyebrow at the happy expression on Bridge's face, "You okay?"**

"**Yep! Why does everyone keep asking that? I'm fine!" he said in a hyper voice.**

"**Is it me or is Bridge a little looped?" Jack asked Z.**

"**Yup, he is. We better get him out of here before he-" Bridge chose this moment to stick out his leg as Joy was passing by, causing her to fall.**

"**Hurts someone," Z finished lamely. Joy got up and gave Bridge a dangerous glare.**

"**You are so off the team!" she snarled and got into the gym where the others were waiting.**

"**It's not his fault!" Jack protested, grabbing onto one of Bridge's arms while Z grabbed the other.**

"**He's on medication!" Z quickly spat out.**

"**What?" Bridge asked Jack in a confused voice.**

"**Okay . . ." Joy sounded rather disturbed and then turned to the others, "Amy, you're our new dancer! Let's practice people, we have to perform for the school today!"**

"**No, no, no, you don't want her! She's a wi-" Jack cut Bridge off.**

"**A wise choice indeed!" Jack ushered Bridge and Z out of the gym and they headed towards the library.**

"**She's a witchy!" Bridge giggled as Jack supported nearly all his weight with an arm around his waist and Bridge's arm around his shoulders.**

"**Bridge . . ." Z sighed.**

"**I just got kicked off, didn't I?" Bridge asked in a slightly serious voice.**

"**I don't think it was your fault," Jack muttered, trying to get his mind off the fact that Bridge was extremely close to him.**

"**Of course you don't, cause you're my friend! You're my Jack-shaped friend!" Bridge moved his own arm away and leaned his head against Jack's shoulder, causing him to blush even more "Do you have any idea why I love you so, Jack?"**

**Z looked at him in concern, "We gotta get him to-"**

"**Let him speak!" Jack shushed her.**

"**I'll tell you! You're not like other boys at all!" Bridge said giddily with a laugh.**

"**Well . . ." he prepared to boast, only to shut his mouth at Bridge's next words.**

"**You are totally and completely, one of the girls!" He turned to Z, "I am **_**that**_** comfortable with him!" Z smiled widely and Bridge continued, "Any other guy who would give me a bracelet, they'd . . . wanna date me and be like a . . ." he began to feel woozy.**

"**Bridge?" Jack's concerned voice broke out.**

"**I don't feel good," he mumbled before collapsing in Jack's arms.**

**Dl**

**Z kept a cool cloth on Bridge's forehead as he sat on a chair in the library while Cruger paced about, looking through a book, worried to death about his Slayer.**

"**We have to get him to a hospital," Jack clenched his fists as he watched Bridge moan.**

"**They can't help him. This is a Bloodstone Vengeance spell," Cruger sighed as he took Bridge's pulse. "Hits the body like a quart of alcohol and eradicates the immune system."**

"**A vengeance spell, she's trying to get back at Bridge?" Jack asked.**

"**Cause she knows that I know she's a witch," Bridge muttered weakly.**

"**The others, she just wanted out of the running. You she intends to, um," Cruger stammered, unable to bring out the word. Bridge did it for him.**

"**Kill?"**

"**How much time do we have?" Z asked.**

"**We have, ah," he didn't want to tell her.**

"**Truth please," Bridge groaned. Cruger couldn't help but feel respect growing in his heart at the words of his Slayer.**

"**Two or three hours at the most."**

"**How do we stop this?" Jack interjected.**

"**I researched it and the only way is either we get out hands on Amy' spell book or cut of her head."**

"**It's not Amy's fault. She's only doing this because of her mother," Bridge protested.**

"**I don't care," Jack knelt in front of him, "All I care is that you keep breathing."**

"**Cruger, where would she be casting these spells?"**

"**A sacred space, a large pentagram," he nodded.**

"**Her home. Guys, help me up," he added, "we'll get her spell book."**

"**We'll come too!" Z nodded.**

"**No. you guys make sure she stays away from the science lab," Cruger told them as he took Bridge from them, "we need it to counter the spells." The two left and Jack and Z exchanged worried glances, both worried about their friend, the Vampire Slayer.**

**Dl**

**Cruger's car pulled up in front of Amy's house and he managed to get Bridge on his feet, who, by now, looked rather out of it. He knocked on the door and inside, Catherine glanced up from a plate of brownies in surprise before shoving the plate beneath the table and opening the door slightly.**

"**Who are you? Is something wrong?" she tried not to look frightened at the sight of the state Bridge was in.**

"**Mrs. Madison, we need to talk about your daughter," Cruger said **

**quickly, well aware of Bridge's failing strength.**

"**I'm not allow . . . you'll have to come back later," she made to close the door, but Cruger made his way in and set Bridge down on the couch nearby.**

"**Are you alright?" he asked him and got a weak nod and smile in response. He was surprised that the boy even had the energy to smile.**

"**You're daughter is meddling with something very dangerous, are you aware of that?" he asked Catherine.**

"**I don't know what you're talking about!" she said in a high-pitched voice. Bridge frowned and closed his eyes, concentrating.**

"**Oh, I think you know very well!" Cruger said angrily, panicking slightly.**

"**You've got to go! She'll be home soon-"**

**Cruger gestured in Bridge's direction, "This boy is very sick. Now you will shut up and listen to me! Your daughter has access to some very dangerous magic and somehow your obsession with dancing has-"**

"**I don't care about dancing!" Catherine interrupted, incredulous. "It's not my fault she's doing things!"**

**Bridge opened his eyes and saw the plate of brownies beneath the table and his eyes widened in realization.**

"**As her mother, you should accept some responsibility of her actions!" Cruger went on.**

**Catherine laughed bitterly, "Well, you know kids these days! I . . ." she sighed, calming down. "She's out of control. Ever since dad, her dad . . . left, I can't control her."**

**Bridge got up off the couch slowly and Cruger looked at her with surprise, "You're afraid of her?"**

"**Amy?" Bridge said in a slurry voice, making Cruger panic even more about how far gone he sounded.**

**Catherine looked at him in shock, realizing she had been found out. Cruger looked at him, puzzled.**

"**Are you Amy?" Bridge asked again softly.**

"**I don't understand . . ." Cruger muttered.**

"**She switched! She switched your bodies, didn't she?"**

**Catherine looked down, defeated and Bridge continued, "She wanted to relive her glory days . . ."**

"**She said I was wasting my youth," Catherine looked up at him again.**

"**So she took it away."**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Dl**

"**I didn't know anything about her powers," Amy in Catherine's body continued while they sat on the couch. "I mean, she and dad would fight and he would call her witch and I just thought he meant . . ." she took a deep breath. "God, when he left, I wanted to go with him. But she wouldn't even let me call! She went crazy, she would lock herself up in the attic for days and she was always coming down on me, telling me I didn't deserve to have it this easy and that I didn't know how hard it was to be her." She looked down at herself, "She really showed me, huh?"**

"**Amy, it's gonna be okay," Bridge said soothingly, gripping her hand weakly.**

"**The day after I told her about the results, I woke up in h-her bed! I didn't know where I was but then I looked in the mirror . . ."**

"**She locked herself in the attic?" Cruger questioned.**

"**Yes," Amy nodded and then lead them up. Cruger knocked down the **

**door and looked around, Amy panicking.**

"**Don't! If she finds out I've been here, she'll kill me!" she pleaded. Cruger ignored her and looked around. He saw two dolls bound together for the body-switching spell and picked them up.**

"**I think we can reverse your mother's spell. All of them, actually," he said softly.**

"**Really?" Amy's eyes held hope in them.**

"**We need to find her books. There'd be specific volumes she'd need for this sort of magic." He knocked the books of a trunk, "Take the dolls and the personal items." A black cat jumped at him as he tried to open the trunk, startling him.**

"**Ah, nice kitty?" he exhaled. "Let's see what you're hiding."**

"**Did we find?" Bridge asked weakly as he saw them come down.**

"**We found, let's go," he held up a book and helped Bridge off the couch.**

"**Where are you going?" Amy asked.**

"**To the school," Cruger's worry increased as he saw Bridge was too weak to walk and picked him up in his arms. He looked at Catherine's body. **

"**And you're coming with me."**

**Dl**

**Meanwhile, in Sunnydale High, the dance club was performing some of their moves for their audience. Catherine, in Amy's body, looked very happy to be there and Jack and Z watched her from the stands.**

**Cruger made his way into the science classroom and placed Bridge on one of the lab tables, knocking everything off it in the process.**

"**I'm going to stop this, I promise," he whispered to Bridge, who gave him a small, weak smile. Cruger took of his coat and made it into a pillow, placing it beneath Bridge's head as his vision began to blur.**

"**You just hang on," he muttered, going to the books and items he had brought.**

"**How is he?" Amy asked, concerned about her friend.**

"**He only has a few minutes left," Cruger muttered. Amy cut an eye out of a frog and looked as though she was ready to throw up while the Watcher mixed a potion.**

"**Right, here we go," Cruger began to recite from the book while Bridge moaned on the table.**

"**The centre is dark. Centrum est obscurus. The darkness breathes. Tenebrae respiratus. The listener hears. Hear me!"**

**Meanwhile, during the dance, Catherine began to feel odd. Her vision flashed to what Amy was seeing in the lab, the frog and the book. She shook it off and picked up the count again, but still looked worried.**

"**It's working!" Amy cried out, covering her face.**

"**Unlock the gate," Cruger continued, "Let the darkness shine. Cover us with holy fear. Show me . . ." he muttered as the lights went off in the classroom.**

**Catherine had a big smile on her face and then, suddenly, she had another flash back to the lab and caught a glimpse of Bridge. She frowned and then scowled, running out of the gym. She violently pushed open the door and was confronted by Z.**

"**Amy!"**

"**Get out of my way!" the witch snarled.**

"**Wait, I wanna talk to you. I-I can h-help you!"**

"**Help me with what?!"**

"**With y-your witchcraft! I know a really good cauldron!"**

**Jack sneaked up on her from behind, ready to grab the witch, but she snarled and turned around, holding her hand out as though she was grabbing someone's neck. Jack fell to the floor choking. She then punched Z and ran to the lab.**

**Dl**

**Cruger held up his arms, "Corseth and Galail! The gate is closed! Receive the dark! Release the unworthy! Take my energy and be sated!" he plunged his hands into the mixture he had made.**

**Catherine walked through the halls with a determined look on her face and tried to open the door on the science lab and found it to be locked. Amy saw the door being yanked but her attention remained on Bridge, who looked dead except for the slight rising and falling of his chest.**

"**Release!"**

**Catherine found an axe outside and broke the glass with her fist, yanking the axe out. She began to chop down the door.**

"**Release!"**

**Catherine made a hole and walked in. she made her way straight to the Slayer and lifted up her axe.**

"**Releaaaseee!" Cruger finished, taking his hand out of the mixture. There was a flash of light as all the spells were broken. Amy blinked as she was aware of the axe in her hands. She was bak in her own body. Bridge still didn't move, busy recovering his lost strength.**

"**Bridge?" Cruger came to his side. Catherine snarled and then held out her hand, causing a table to hit him and knock him back, down and out. Amy stood there, holding the axe as her mother turned to her.**

"**You little brat!" she yelled in anger.**

"**Mom! Please!" she held up the axe threateningly. Catherine held out her hand and axe flew into it.**

"**How dare you raise a hand to your mother?! I gave you birth! I gave up my life so that you could drag that worthless carcass around and call it living? You've never been anything but trouble! I'm going to put where you can never cause anymore trouble again!" she moved towards Amy.**

"**Guess what?" a voice from behind her made her turn around to see Bridge looking healthy again and he smirked at her, "I feel better!" He punched Catherine and the woman landed on a lab table, knocking shelves and bottles over.**

"**That body was mine! Mine!" she screamed.**

"**Oh, grow up!" Bridge snarled. Catherine held out her hand and used her powers to send Bridge smashing against the wall. He fell to the floor and got up quickly while Catherine started a chant.**

"**I shall look upon my enemy!" she screamed and her eyes turned pitch-black.**

"**I shall look upon him and the dark place will have her soul!" bridge looked around and then saw a mirror being held up by a pole.**

"**Corsheth, take him!" Catherine yelled and the energy shot out of her fingers. Bridge kicked away the pole and the mirror swung down in front of him, causing the spell to be reflected back on Catherine. She screamed as the energy enveloped her and then disappeared with a roar, taking her with it.**

**Bridge surveyed the scene and saw Cruger unconscious on the floor. He knelt down next to him as the Watcher began to wake up.**

"**Well, that was interesting," he muttered.**

"**You guys okay?" Bridge asked, helping Cruger up.**

"**I'm fine!" Amy came up to them.**

"**I assume all spells were reversed. This was my first casting so I may have gotten it wrong," he exhaled.**

"**You saved my life! You were a God!" Bridge said with a bright smile and hugged him, shocking the Watcher. The Slayer pulled away quickly as Jack came rushing in and grabbed Amy.**

"**I got her! Cut her head off!" he yelled.**

"**Jack, what are you doing?" Bridge asked with a confused look on his face.**

"**Saving you?" he said in disbelief.**

"**Get your hands off her!"**

"**But she's evil!"**

"**It wasn't her exactly."**

"**I was my mom," Amy supplied.**

"**Oh!" Jack let go of her. At this point, Z came running in with a bat. "Uh, Z, it's cool."**

"**It is?" she asked.**

"**Yup. I took care of it."**

**Dl**

**Bridge dumped his smashed alarm clock into the wastebasket and then did a handstand against the wall, contemplating what had happened in the past few hours. Maya walked in and came directly to him.**

"**I don't get it," she said. Bridge looked up at her and spoke without moving.**

"**I told you, mom. Doing this brings ideas, like blood, to your head. It helps me-"**

"**Not that," she interrupted.**

"**Then?"**

"**I've been thinking a lot about . . . where you're coming from, how to relate to you . . . and I've come to a simple conclusion: I don't get it."**

"**I'm inscrutable, huh?" Bridge smiled.**

"**You're sixteen! I think there's a biological imperative where I can't understand you because you're sixteen."**

"**Do you ever wish **_**you**_** were sixteen again?" he asked.**

"**Oh, that's a frightful notion," Maya looked horrified. "Go through all that again? Not even if it helps me understand you."**

**She smiled at her son and he reciprocated. Bridge jumped down from his position and swiftly kissed his mom on the cheek, "Love you, mom!"**

**He ran from the room, leaving Maya stunned, "I don't get it!"**

**At Sunnydale High, Bridge and Amy were walking together.**

"**My dad is **_**so**_** impossible," Amy ranted. "He doesn't ever want me going anywhere! He wants to spend total quality time together! And I'm like, 'Dad, I can go out! It's perfectly safe'! But he's got all this guilt and leaving me with mom. And he's being a total pain!"**

**Bridge grinned at her, "You're loving it."**

**She grinned back at him, "Every single moment of it. This Saturday night he wants to stay home and make brownies. Well, the brownies were my idea."**

**Syd came up from behind them, "Hey! I'm really sorry you guys got bumped back to alternates." She had a thoughtful look and then smirked, "Wait, no I'm not!"**

"**I'm sorry I saved you from that truck," Bridge muttered, loudly enough for only Amy to hear him. She grinned at him and then turned to Syd.**

"**Well, I know I'll miss the intellectual thrill of flailing in front of people," she said blandly.**

"**Ooh, these grapes are sour," Syd huffed and walked away. Bridge and Amy stopped in front of the trophy case and she turned to him.**

"**Oh, I'm sorry! You wanted to be on the team!"**

"**Nah, dancing is way too hairy for me. Slaying is more my thing," he winked at her. She shook her head at him and then looked at Catherine's picture in the case.**

"**Catherine the Great," she sighed.**

"**And there's no sign of her?" Bridge asked seriously.**

**Amy raised an eyebrow at him, "How do you change moods that easily?"**

"**Meaning?" Bridge cocked his head with a confused look.**

"**Never mind," she shook her head and then answered his question, "that last spell . . . she said I'd never make trouble again. Wherever she is, I don't think we'll have to worry about her again."**

**They looked at Catherine's dancing trophy and Bridge sighed.**

"**Twisted." They turned to leave and Amy slipped a friendly arm around his waist, "You know, I'm thinking about going fat."**

"**I heard that's the look for this season," Bridge said in a mock-serious voice as he put his arm around her and they laughed.**

**They didn't notice the muffled noises coming from the dancing trophy or the eyes looking out.**

**Dl**

**Aaaaaannd we're done! whew This is so not easy to do! Not to mention, it's hard to remember the Buffy episodes for this. Read and review people!**

**P.S: Sky will be back next chap!**


	4. Teacher's Pet

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything.**

**Episode 4: Teacher's Pet**

**Warning: Okay, slash rating for this chapter! Jack/Bridge hinting. I think it's apt . . .**

**Dl**

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**Dl**

**A girl screamed inside the Bronze as a vampire advanced on Bridge who backed into a pole. He swung a quick left, followed by a right on the vamps face, but he was unfazed. He grabbed the Slayer by the upper arms and hurled him onto one of the pool tables. The vamp pinned him down and moved to bite him when Jack came up behind him. He grabbed the vamp by the shoulders and pulled him off Bridge.**

"**May I cut in?" he mocked.**

**He bashed the vamps head into the pool table, turned him around, punching him in the face and gut. The vamp fell to the floor, unconscious, while Bridge looked on, impressed and gave him a bright smile. Jack silently extended his hand to Bridge to help him off the pool table.**

"**You okay?" Jack asked smoothly.**

"**Yeah. Thanks to you!" the Slayer slid off the table and then noticed the bruise on Jack's hand.**

"**You hurt your hand! Will you still be able to . . ." Jack cut Bridge off by placing his fingers on his lips.**

"**Finish my solo and kiss you like you've never been kissed before?" he winked. The vamp got up again and growled at him, charging for Bridge. Jack broke the leg off a table and hurled it at the vamp while at the same time pulling Bridge closer to him with an arm around his waist. The make-shift stake effectively dusted the vamp. Jack jumped on the stage, grabbing his guitar and Bridge looked at him adoringly while he played.**

"**You're drooling," Bridge said. Jack gave him a confused look.**

**In the dark science classroom, Professor Gregory was showing a slideshow to the students.**

"**Jack!" Bridge hissed, nudging his partner again from behind where he was sitting. Jack got up from his day dream and looked at the object of his dreams groggily. Bridge pointed to the corner of his own mouth, "You got a little . . ."**

**Jack picked up on the gesture and quickly wiped off the drool on his chin.**

"**Their ancestors were here long before we were. Their progeny will be here long after us. The simple and ubiquitous ant!" Gregory turned off his projector and flicked on the lights as he walked up the aisles.**

"**Now, if you know did the homework, you should know how ants communicate. Mr. Carson?" he stopped in front of Bridge.**

"**How ants communicate?" Bridge asked, slightly nervous at being put on the spot.**

"**Yes."**

"**With other ants?"**

"**Yes."**

"**They communicate by, um," he spotted Z making signals at him. She stroked Jack's back and Bridge picked up immediately.**

"**Touch?"**

"**Yes. And?" he questioned further. Bridge looked at Z, who started sniffing at Jack. Bridge's face took on a confused look.**

"**B. O.?" he said, causing several students to laugh. One blonde boy, Blaine, in particular was finding it funny.**

"**Thank god someone finally found the courage to mention that!" he smiled at Bridge and winked, causing the Slayer to blush.**

"**That would be touch and smell, Mr. Carson. Is there anything else Miss. Delgado would like to tell you?" At this point, the bell rang and the professor moved to the front of the class.**

"**Alright, chapters 6 through 8 tomorrow, okay people? Bridge, can I see you for a moment?"**

**Bridge walked down as the professor began rearranging his slides.**

"**I gather you had a few problems in your previous school?"**

"**Well, what teen doesn't?" Bridge didn't like where the conversation was going.**

"**Cut school, get into fights, burn down the gym. Flutie showed me your permanent record," he said blandly.**

"**Well, the fire, I had a good reason! It's a-actually kinda f-funny if you think about it," he stammered.**

"**Can't wait to see what you'll do here," Gregory muttered.**

"**Destructo guy. That's me," Bridge sighed.**

"**But I suspect it's gonna be great," he said with a smile.**

"**You mean 'great' in a bad way?" Bridge asked, hopelessly confused.**

**The professor looked at him and smiled, "You have a first-rate mind. You can think on your feet quickly. Imagine what you could accomplish if you had done the homework thing! I understand you probably have a good excuse for not doing it," he stepped in front of Bridge, "Amazingly enough, I don't care. I know you can excel in this class and I expect no less! Is that clear?"**

"**Yeah!" Bridge agreed, "sorry."**

"**Don't be sorry, be smart," he put his hands on Bridge's shoulders. "Please don't listen to the principal or anyone else's negative opinion. Let's make them eat that permanent record, huh?"**

**Bridge nodded enthusiastically, "Okay! Thanks!" He was out the door **

**in a second, a new bounce in his step.**

**Gregory smiled at his hyper-active student and then turned his attention to the slides. The closet door opened from behind him and he didn't notice, too engrossed in his slides. A large, green, mantis claw came around his neck and he turned, screaming as he saw the creature behind him. The claw dragged him off the chair as his glasses fell to the floor, breaking immediately as they skidded near a desk. A second later his body fell as well.**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Jack looked around the dance floor of the Bronze and he mad his way to where the singer was on the stage. He grinned at her and she gave him a 'get out of here' look, disappointing him as he moved away. He went to the bar where Blaine and his friend were sitting.**

"**Seven, including Cheryl," Blaine boasted. "Her sister almost made it eight.**

"**Ooh, Cheryl's sister? The one in college?" his friend asked,**

**Blaine nodded, "Home for the holidays and lookin for love! But a girl's gotta have something special to be with me!"**

"**Something like a lobotomy?" Jack quipped, causing Blaine and his friend to look at him.**

"**Jack. How many times do you score?" Blaine asked.**

"**Well, uh," Jack stammered.**

"**Just a question. Guys or gals?"**

"**You mean today, or the whole week?" Jack asked. The boys snickered and he spotted Bridge and Z coming down the stairs. He raised his eyebrows, "Ooh, duty calls!" He left the bar as Blaine and his friend watched and grabbed them both around the shoulders, "Babes!"**

"**Jack!" Bridge blushed furiously as did Z. "What are you doing?"**

"**Work with me here!" Jack hissed, "Blaine questioned my manliness. I'm just giving him a visual."**

"**We'll show him!" Z said, wrapping her arms around Jack. He turned back and gave them a thumbs-up, enjoying the look of shock on their faces. Bridge looked to the side as he felt a tingling and his jaw dropped open.**

"**I don't believe it!"**

"**I know and after all my conquests!" Jack misinterpreted him. Bridge walked over to a familiar tall blonde man with blue eyes as Jack and Z looked on.**

"**Who's that?" Jack asked in disbelief.**

"**That must be Sky, I think?" Z narrowed her eyes to get a better look at him.**

"**That weird guy who warned him about the vamps?"**

"**That's him, I'll bet you!"**

"**Well, he's buff! Bridge never said anything about him being buff!" Jack whined.**

"**You think he's buff?" Z looked at him.**

"**He's a very attractive man," Jack scowled, "how come **_**that**_** never came up?"**

**Bridge walked up to Sky, "Well, look who's here!"**

"**Hi." Sky said a smooth, deep voice.**

"**Well I'd say it's nice to see you, but we both know that would be a big fib," Bridge crossed his arms in a huff. He wished that Sky would, for once, come with good news instead of bad.**

"**I won't be long," Sky responded stoically.**

"**No. You'll just give me a cryptic warning of some exciting new danger and then disappear into the night. Right?"**

"**You're cold."**

"**You can take it," Bridge shrugged.**

"**I mean you look cold," Sky shrugged off his leather jacket and put it around Bridge's shoulders.**

**Jack scowled from where he was watching, "Oh yeah give him your jacket. It's a balmy night, no one needs to be trading clothing out there!"**

**Bridge smiled slightly. Sky was right, he had been feeling cold since he was wearing a sleeveless top and silently wondered how he knew. "A little big on me," he teased. His smile faded at the sight of a series of deep cuts on Sky's arm, clearly visible now that the jacket wasn't hiding them. He took his hand in concern, not even noticing Sky's surprised look, as he examined the wounds. "What happened?" he asked, worry lacing his voice.**

"**I didn't pay attention," Sky answered simply.**

"**To somebody with a big fork?"**

"**He's coming."**

"**The Fork Guy?"**

"**Don't let him corner you. Don't give him a moment's mercy or he'll rip your throat out."**

**Bridge grimaced and winced, "Okay, I'll give you improved marks for that one. Ripping a throat out is a strong visual. It is not cryptic!"**

**Sky took his hand back and turned to leave without a word. Bridge put **

**his hands on his hips.**

"**Sweet dreams to you too!"**

**Dl**

**Bridge and Cruger walked down the halls in front of the school while the Watcher ate an apple.**

"**That's all he said? Fork Guy?" Cruger frowned.**

"**That's all Cryptic Guy said. Fork Guy," Bridge shrugged.**

"**I, for one, think there are too many guys in your life," Cruger laughed, eliciting one from Bridge as well. They walked over to here Z was sitting and Cruger looked up at the sky, "Reminds me of home."**

**Bridge looked up as well and then donned a mischievous grin, "Dark, dank and dreary. You must be so happy!" Z laughed and Cruger couldn't help but smile at the tease as well. Bridge sat next to Z as Jack walked towards them.**

"**Good morning," the British Watcher nodded to Jack.**

"**Morning!" Jack turned to his friends, "Guess what I heard in the office? No Gregory today! Ergo, those of us who blew off our science homework aren't as dumb as we look!" He flipped Z's book closed and she barely stopped it from falling on the ground.**

"**What happened? Is he sick?" Bridge asked, concern in his voice.**

"**They didn't say anything about sick. More like missing," Jack nodded.**

"**He's missing?"**

"**Well, let me think. Um, the cheerleaders were modeling their new short skirts and . . . Yeah! They said missing!" He saw Bridge and Z exchange a look, "Which is bad?"**

"**If something is wrong, then hell yeah!" Bridge exclaimed.**

"**He's one of the only teachers who doesn't think Bridge is a felon!" Z added.**

"**I'm really sorry! I'm sure he'll . . ." he looked up to see a beautiful dark-haired woman with ruby red lips walk towards them. "I, uh, um-" he stuttered. Bridge and Z looked over to see the woman and she stopped in front of Jack.**

"**Can you help me?" she asked in a sultry voice.**

"**Uuuuhhhhh, yes!" Jack snapped himself out of his thoughts, while his friends snickered.**

"**I'm looking for Science 109," she responded.**

"**Oh! It's, uh," he looked around for the way and then smiled at the woman, "I go there everyday." While she laughed, Jack urgently whispered to his friends, "Oh God, where is it?"**

**Blaine came up behind the new arrival and smiled, "Hi! I'm Blaine Mall and I'm going there right now. It's not far from the varsity field where I took on All-City last year." He smiled smugly and slyly winked at Bridge, causing him to blush and Jack to fume.**

"**Oh thank you Blaine!" she smiled as they walked away. Jack watched them and then turned to the others with a sigh.**

"**It's funny how the earth never swallows you when you want it to." Bridge and Z nodded before giving each other a smile.**

**Dl**

**The woman wrote her name on the board, introducing herself as Natalie French while Bridge, Z and Jack walked in. The Slayer noticed Gregory's glasses on the floor near his desk and picked them up.**

"**What's wrong?" Z whispered.**

"**Dr. Gregory dropped his glasses . . . why wouldn't he pick them up?" he frowned. He set the glasses on his lab table as Natalie turned to face the class.**

"**I will be substituting for Mr. Gregory," she informed them.**

"**Do you know when he's coming back?" Bridge asked.**

"**No I don't, ah," she glanced at the rosters, "Bridge. They just call and tell me where they want me."**

"**I'll tell you where I want you," Blaine smirked in a low voice.**

"**Excuse me?"**

"**I wanted to know if you're starting off from where Dr. Gregory left off," he lied smoothly.**

"**Oh yes. His notes tell me you were in the middle of insect life.," she smiled and picked up a mantis mounted in a clear box.**

"**The praying mantis is a fascinating creature. Forced to live alone. Can any one tell me why? Bridge?"**

"**Well, the words 'bug-ugly' come to mind," he said before he could stop himself, causing people to laugh.**

"**There is nothing ugly about these unique creatures," Natalie said indignantly. The reason they live alone is because they are cannibals!"**

"**Eww!" Bridge wrinkled his nose as a few other in the class looked disgusted.**

"**Oh well, its hardly their fault! It's the way nature designed them: noble and solitary. Over 1800 species world-wide and in nearly all, the female is larger **_**and**_** more aggressive than the male.**

"**Nothing wrong with an aggressive female . . . or male," Blaine whispered to Bridge who was sitting next to him. Bridge continued to face Natalie's desk, but glanced to the side, giving him a look. He was really getting tired of his flirting and Blaine wasn't taking the hint that he wasn't interested.**

**Natalie went on with her lecture, "The California Mantis lays her eggs and finds a mate," she looked at Jack and then continued, "to fertilize them. Once he's played his part, the female covers the eggs in s protective sack and attaches it to a leaf or twig, out of danger. If the job is done properly, in a few months, she'll have several hundred offspring."**

**She shut the book and turned to the class, "You know, we should make some model egg sacks for the science fair. Who would like to help me?"**

**The boys all raised their hands except for Bridge who still looked disinterested and was flicking a rubber about his table. Natalie frowned slightly at him but was pleased at the others none the less.**

"**Good!"**

**Dl**

**Bridge, Jack and Z were in line at the cafeteria and the Slayer looked at the menu before rolling his eyes.**

"**Hot dog surprise. Be still, my beating heart," he said dryly.**

"**Call me old-fashioned, but I don't want anymore surprises in my hot dog!" Z chimed in and both she and Bridge snickered.**

"**I wonder what she sees in me? Maybe it's the good looks coupled with the smoky magnetism," Jack sighed.**

**Bridge and Z raised their eyebrows at him before exchanging amused grins.**

"**Miss French. You two are probably too young to understand what an older woman sees in a younger man."**

"**Oh, I understand," Bridge nodded.**

"**Good!"**

"**The younger man is too dumb to wonder why an older woman can't find someone her own age and is probably too desperate to care about the surgical improvements."**

"**What surgical improvements?" Jack asked, horrified.**

"**Well, he **_**is**_** young!" Z offered.**

"**And **_**so**_** terribly innocent," Bridge added.**

"**Hey," Jack protested, "those who can . . . do. Those that can't laugh at those who . . . can do!"**

**Bridge smiled and then went to grab a couple of utensils and bumped into Syd.**

"**Excuse you!" Syd said with a squawk and walked off, not noticing Bridge going back to the table with his friends and mimicking stabbing her with his fork. She showed a piece of paper to the staff.**

"**Medically prescribed lunch. My doc ships it in daily. I'll only be here as long as I can hold my breath." She opened the fridge and promptly screamed. Inside was a headless body. Bridge and the others came to see what the problem was and Syd was freaking out.**

"**His head, his head. Oh my God, where is his head?!"**

**Bridge looked in and promptly let out a choked sob, putting his hand over his mouth to stifle it. Jack promptly looked away while Z looked squeamish.**

**The tag on the lab coat read 'Dr. Gregory'.**

**Dl**

**Cruger filled a glass of water and gave it to Bridge who was sitting on the stairs of the library with Z. The Slayer had tear-stains on his cheeks and his normally lively blue eyes were filled with shock, sadness and horror.**

"**Here, drink this," he handed the glass to Bridge.**

"**Thanks . . ." he gave the glass to Z who took a sip.**

"**I've never seen . . ." Jack looked at Cruger, rather shaken, "that was new."**

"**Who would wanna hurt Dr. Gregory?" Z asked softly.**

"**He has no enemies on the staff," Cruger sighed. "Nice fellow. I liked **

**him."**

"**So did I," Bridge spoke in a hoarse voice, fresh tears threatening to erupt.**

"**What do we know about the murder?"**

"**Not much. But he had to have been killed after I saw him yesterday, on **

**campus."**

"**What makes you say that?" the Watcher cocked an eyebrow at him.**

"**He never changed his clothes."**

"**This is a question no one wants to here but . . . where did they put the head?" Jack spoke up, grimacing at the fresh look of pain on Bridge's face.**

"**Good point, I didn't want to hear that!" Z glared at him.**

"**Sky!" Bridge spoke up suddenly, standing up. "He warned me that something was coming!"**

"**Yes he did, didn't he? I was looking up on the Master, our local vampire king, and I found a reference about a vampire who displeased the Master and cut off his own hand in penance."**

"**He replaced it with a fork?"**

"**Not mentioned. There was an incident two nights ago where a homeless man was found shredded in Weatherly Park."**

"**Fork guy doesn't do heads," Bridge nodded.**

"**Not historically," Cruger pointed out.**

"**And Dr. Gregory's blood wasn't drained.**

"**So there's something else out there besides silverware man? Oh, this is fun, we're on Monster Island!"**

"**We're on a Hellmouth. Where the real and the unreal meet. Guess it's the same thing," Bridge shrugged.**

"**Well, unpleasant things do gravitate here. And we have no other leads, so I'll say this fellow is our main suspect."**

"**That guy was killed in Weatherly Park, right?" Bridge asked.**

"**Bridge," Cruger came up to him and put his hands on his shoulders, "I know you're upset right know, but you are **_**not**_** to go hunting until we know more. Promise you won't do anything rash?"**

"**Cross my heart."**

**Dl**

**Bridge climbed the fence of the park at night and hoped down easily, looking about carefully. A bum came up behind him and startled him.**

"**You shouldn't be out here kid. Dangerous," he drawled and left. Bridge scowled and then went deeper in, noticing some shrubbery covering an open manhole. He moved to open it and then suddenly, Fork Guy leapt at him. Bridge dodged one of his swipes and slammed his straight arm into his stomach and then his back, knocking him to the ground. He swung at Bridge again and he dodged. The Slayer backhanded him across the face and front kicked him. The vamp lunged at him and Bridge flipped him onto his back, attacking with his stake. Fork Guy dodged it and rolled away, taking off as Bridge gave chase.**

**In another part of the park, Natalie was taking home some groceries. Fork Guy stalked her and jumped over the fence. Bridge hid behind a garbage can and was about to come to her aid when he saw her turn around and face the vamp, who hissed and ran away in fear. Bridge stared open-mouthed as Fork Guy opened a manhole and jumped in while Natalie walked away calmly.**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**In the library, Cruger looked at Bridge with disappointment.**

"**You went hunting last night."**

"**Yes."**

"**When you assured me you wouldn't."**

**Bridge sighed and rolled his eyes, "Yes, I lied. I'm a bad person, can we move on?"**

"**Did you see someone with a fork?" Cruger asked with a sigh.**

**Bridge scoffed, "More like a jumbo claw!"**

"**Oh, well at least you're not hurt."**

"**Yeah well, I saw something more interesting than your usual run-of-the-mill vamp. You know the teacher who's subbing for Gregory?"**

**Cruger smiled, "Ah yes, Miss Natalie. She's lovely i-in a common well-proportioned way."**

**Bridge scowled, "Well, I'm chasing Claw Guy and Miss Well-Proportioned is heading home. He sees her and turns tail, screaming for cover!"**

"**He ran away from Miss French?" the Watcher looked confused.**

"**Uh-huh! So I'm a vamp that can shave with my hand . . . what am I afraid off?" Bridge stroked his chin in mock-thought.**

"**Not many. Not substitute teachers as a rule.**

"**So what's her deal?"**

"**I don't know. Keep an eye on her."**

**Bridge looked at his watch and yelped, "Then I gotta get to class!" He grabbed his bag and ran out, nearly running into the door in his haste, not noticing Cruger chuckle at his Slayer's antics.**

**Bridge ran down the stairs and suddenly stopped short as Flutie came in his way, nearly falling over.**

"**You were there. You saw Dr. Gregory, didn't you?"**

"**Um, you mean in the cafeteria where he was found-"**

"**Don't say dead! Or decapitated or any other D-word. You witnessed **

**the event, so follow me," he walked down the hall.**

"**I'm gonna be late!" Bridge whined.**

"**You have to see a counselor! Everyone who saw the body has to see **

**one."**

"**But I really don't need-"**

"**We all need help with our feelings. Otherwise we bottle the up and powerful laxatives are involved. If we gang up together, w e can beat this! I'm here if you need a hug, but," he saw the look on Bridge's face, "not a real hug. Because there is no touching! This school is strict on wrong touching!"**

"**But I don't need-" Flutie cut him off by shoving him into a seat outside the counselor's office.**

"**Heal!" he ordered and walked off. Bridge slumped in his seat and heard Syd inside the office. He frowned and then concentrated on using his Slayer abilities to hear the conversation.**

"**I don't know what to say! It was like, one moment your in your normal life and then, who's in the fridge? I haven't been able to eat a thing since yesterday and I've lost seven ounces! Way swifter than the diet my quack of a doc put me on. I'm not saying that we should kill a teacher so I can lose weight but-"**

**Bridge shook his head and slumped in his chair.**

**Meanwhile, in class Natalie was giving a pop test. She walked down the aisle and stopped behind Jack.**

"**I think you meant pollination for question fourteen." Hs put her hand on his shoulder, "I'll see you here after class."**

**Bridge ran along the halls and skidded past a corner. He reached the door of his biology class and peered in through the door window.**

"**Pop quiz. Great," he muttered and then stared in shock as Natalie turned her head a good 180 degrees. He rolled away from the window before she could see him, eyes wide.**

**Dl**

**Bridge and Z walked in the library, the Slayer still freaking out about what he had seen.**

"**No, I'm not saying she craned her neck! We are talking full-on Exorcist twist!"**

"**Ouch!" Z winced.**

"**Which reminds me. How is it that Blaine, who helped her yesterday, isn't here today?"**

"**Inquiring minds want to know."**

"**Any luck?" Bridge addressed Cruger as Z went to the computer to find info.**

"**Um, I've not found any information on a creature that strikes fear into a vampire's heart," he admitted.**

"**How about one which can pull an Exorcist?"**

"**Nothing human can do that," he frowned.**

"**No, but some bugs can!" Bridge hopped up the stairs to the stacks.**

"**Where are you going?"**

"**To do my homework."**

**Meanwhile, Jack came into the biology classroom and walked to Natalie's desk. "Can I help you Jack?" Natalie asked him as she spread butter on a slice of bread.**

"**Actually, you told me to meet you after class?" the teen swallowed nervously.**

"**Ah yes! I need to make some more model egg sacks and I was wondering if you could come to my house after school."**

"**Yeah sure!" Jack couldn't believe his luck. Natalie gave him her address and then time and Jack let out a small hiss of victory once he left the classroom.**

**Natalie opened a small plastic container, revealing crickets. She took a few and put them in her sandwich before taking a bite.**

"**Hmm, crunchy!"**

**Dl**

**Bridge came out of the stacks with a book and walked down the stairs without looking up.**

"**Dig this: The praying mantis can rotate it's head 180 degrees while waiting for its prey to walk by. Ha!" he slammed the book shut and then sighed at the following silence. "Well, come on guys, **_**Ha!**_**"**

"**Isn't Miss French a little . . . big for a bug?" Z asked hesitantly.**

"**And she is, by and large, woman shaped," Cruger offered.**

**Bridge sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose (excuse the pun), "Okay. Factoid one: Only the praying mantis can rotate its head like that. Factoid two: A pretty whacked-out vamp is scared to death of her. Factoid Three: Her fashion sense screams predator!"**

**Z nodded, "It's the shoulder pads."**

"**Exactly."**

"**If you're right she's a shape-shifter. I have a chum at Oxford, Carlyle, advanced degrees in entomology and mythology."**

**The two teens looked at him blankly and he elaborated, "Bugs and fairy-tales."**

"**I knew that," they said together.**

"**Bridge, 911! Blaine's mom called the school saying he never came home last night," Z exclaimed as she saw the school records.**

"**That boy who worked with Miss French yesterday?" Cruger frowned.**

"**Oh no, Jack's supposed to be helping her today! He's got a crush on a giant bug!" Z panicked.**

"**Don't panic! I'll warn him while you hack into the coroner's office," Bridge put his hands on her shoulders, trying to calm her.**

"**What are we looking for?"**

"**Autopsy on Gregory. Find out if the teeth-marks match these babies," he pointed at the praying mantis.**

"**I need to make a transatlantic phone-call," Cruger got up and turned to them. "This hacking of the coroner's office, one assumes, is legal?"**

"**Definitely!" Bridge and Z answered together.**

"**Right. Wasn't here, didn't see it, couldn't have stopped you.**

"**Good idea!" Bridge then took off to find Jack. He caught up to him after a couple minutes.**

"**So, how'd it go with Miss French?" Bridge asked casually.**

"**Well, it's a bit demanding , being her favorite guy in the whole world. I'll muddle though," Jack sighed dreamily.**

"**Okay, um, I need to tell you something about her and you have to listen, okay?" Bridge shifted uncomfortably.**

"**Okay . . ." Jack said slowly.**

"**I don't think she's human."**

"**So she's a . . ."**

"**Technically? A big bug." Bridge cocked an eyebrow as Jack started laughing. "Okay, I know this is weird, but-"**

"**It isn't weird at all, I completely understand! I've met someone and you're jealous!"**

"**What?" Bridge asked in disbelief.**

"**Look, there's nothing I can do about it. Miss Natalie and I just have a little something called chemistry!**

"**I know, I read about it. It's pheromone, a chemical attractant that bugs give off!"**

"**She's not an insect!" Jack yelled, causing Bridge to take a step back in shock. "She's a woman, okay? And as hard as it may be for you to conceive, an actual woman finds me attractive! I realize it's no mystery guy handing out leather jackets, and while we're on the subject, what **

**kind of a girlie name is 'Sky'?**

"**What does that have to do with this?" Bridge asked in surprise.**

**Jack sighed. He couldn't believe Bridge still didn't get the hints he dropped everyday. "Nothing, it just bugs me. Look, I gotta go," he walked off, leaving a very confused Bridge behind.**

**Dl**

**The doorbell of Natalie's house rang as she poured out two martinis. She opened the door to reveal Jack standing there nervously.**

"**Hi," he said nervously, trying to be unaffected by the cleavage her dress showed. She smiled and showed him to the living room,**

"**Hi, would you like a martini?" she offered one to him and Jack accepted.**

"**I just need to relax. I'm a little nervous around you," she laughed. "You're probably as cool as a cucumber."**

"**I like cucumbers. Like in that Greek salad thing with the yogurt. Do you like Greek food? I'm exempting schwarma, of course, I mean it's a big meat hive," Jack rambled. Natalie laughed and Jack downed his martini, immediately feeling woozy.**

"**Hellllooooo!" he said drunkenly.**

"**Jack, have you ever been with a woman before?" Natalie asked quickly. She ran her hands over his hair and down his ear.**

"**Yeah, there was . . . several!" he grinned.**

"**I can tell," she whispered as she stroked her fingers down his chin.**

"**You can?"**

"**I like it. I guess you could say I need it," she grinned. Jack frowned at **

**the sound of muffled screaming.**

"**Do you hear . . ."**

"**No . . ."**

"**Sounds like someone crying . . ."**

"**I don't hear anything," she took his hand. "Your hands are so hot!"**

**Jack jerked slightly at the touch and remembered his daydream. Bridge had held his hand like that, worried about a wound that had not actually been inflicted.**

"**Bridge. I love Bridge . . ." Jack muttered and grinned again, "wow, so that's a martini, huh?"**

"**Would you like to touch me with those hands?" she asked seductively. Jack looked down at her hands.**

"**Wow, your hands are really," his eyes widened slightly as they morphed into claws, "serrated. Oh wow, that martini! I really have to . . ." he fell to the floor, unconscious.**

**Two mantis claws dragged him away.**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Jack woke up in a cage. He grabbed the bars and pulled himself up and saw Natalie as a giant mantis make her nest.**

"**Miss . . . French?" he stammered.**

"**Please call me Natalie," she smiled as Jack backed into his cage.**

**Meanwhile, in the library Cruger was nearly screaming into the phone.**

"**No, I don't know what time it is and I don't care! Now unlock his cage, unstrap him and bring him to the phone. It's an emergency!"**

"**Got it!" Z said triumphantly. "Coroner's report, complete with . . . yuk! Color pictures," she looked slightly green.**

"**There **_**are**_** teeth marks," Bridge speculated over her shoulder, trying to suppress a shudder, "they mark perfectly the one insect that nips of the head."**

"**O-okay, I don't like this," Z muttered.**

"**It's the way they feed, head first! It's also the way they mate. The female bites off the male's head during-"**

"**No, no, no! I like Jack's head! It's where you find his eyes and his hair and his adorable smile-"**

"**Hey, hey take it easy Z!" Bridge tried to calm her down, though he was panicking as well. "I saw Jack leave school. He's probably safe at home."**

**Dl**

**Jack backed up to the far corner of his cage and was surprised to see Blaine next to him.**

"**Blaine? Are you alright" Jack asked.**

"**You gotta get me out of here!" he yelled. "Sh-she gets you and . . . ." he trailed off, too busy panicking.**

**  
"She does what?" Jack began to panic as well.**

"**She takes you out of the cage and ties you up and, and she starts movin' and th-throbbin', and these e-eggs come shooting out of her! And then, she mates with you!" Blaine screamed in panic.**

"**Oh. Crap." Jack went pale.**

"**And that's not the worst part!"**

"**Of course it's not!"**

"**You've seen her teeth, right? While she's . . . you know! Right in the middle of . . . I saw her do it! I don't wanna die like that!"**

"**Calm down , Blaine! It's gonna be okay! I'm gonna get us out of this!" Jack yelled.**

"**You got a plan?" Blaine asked hopefully.**

"**Yeah, just let me, uh, perfect it!"**

"**Oh god . . ."**

**Dl**

"**I-I understand Carlyle! Yes, I'll take every precaution. Uh, absolutely, it sounds exactly like the creature you described! Y-You were right about everything! Well, no, y-you weren't right about your mother returning as a Pekinese, but . . . uh . . . try to rest, old man. Yes . . . Ta! Bye now!" Cruger hung up the phone with a sigh and came out of his office to see Bridge and Z still at the PC.**

"**Dr. Ferris Carlyle spent years transcribing a lost pre-Germanic language. What he discovered, he kept secret for several years until a group of young teenage boys were murdered. Then he went hunting for it."**

"**It being a . . ." Bridge trailed off, looking at Cruger expectantly.**

"**Uh, he calls her a She-Mantis. This type of creature, a virgin thief, appears in many cultures. The Greek sirens, the Celtic sea-maidens, who, tore the living flesh off-"**

"**Cruger, while we're young!" Bridge interrupted him, both him and Z looking a little green and a lot more panicky.**

"**Basically, the She-Mantis takes on the form of a young beautiful woman and lures innocent virgins to her nest," he gulped.**

"**Virgins? Well, Jack's not a, uh . . . I mean, he's probably-" Bridge was interrupted by Z.**

"**Gonna die!" she squeaked and grabbed the phone.**

"**Okay, okay, so this thing is breeding and we need to find it and snuff **

**it?" Bridge looked at Cruger. "Any tips on the snuffing?"**

"**Um, cleaving all the body parts with a sharp object is recommended."**

"**Slice and dice."**

"**Well, whatever you do, it has to be swift. This thing is dangerous."**

"**What have I faced that isn't? Plus, your buddy Carlyle faced it and lives to tell the tale!" Bridge pointed out.**

"**Yes, he's now in a straight-jacket, howling his innards out day and night!"**

**Bridge winced, "Okay, Admiral! Way to inspire the troops!"**

"**Sorry . . ." Cruger looked sheepish.**

"**Jack's not home!" Z joined the conversation, on the verge of hyperventilating. "He told his mom he was going to work on a project at his teacher's home. He didn't say where."**

"**See if you can get her address of the substitute rosters!" Bridge instructed and then turned to Cruger, "you go get a recording of a bat sonar."**

"**Why?"**

"**Bats eat them. The mantis hears bat sonar and nervous system goes kerplooey!"**

"**Where am I going to find . . ." he trailed off at the incredulous look on Bridge's face.**

"**In the vid lib? Duh, go! It doesn't have books, but it's dark and dusty so you'll feel right at home!" he watched Cruger go.**

"**Guess I'll handle the armory," he muttered the last part to himself.**

**Dl**

**Jack worked on one of the bars while Blaine continued to panic. He managed to yank one out and Blaine smiled.**

"**You got it out! Now I can get outta my cage . . ." he saw where it led, "into yours. What'd you do that for?"**

"**A weapon!" Jack hissed.**

"**I think you're gonna need it!" Blaine looked behind him. Jack turned to see Natalie and dropped his bar.**

**In the library, the others were regrouping.**

"**Got the address!" Z smiled.**

"**Great! Cruger?" Bridge turned to the other member of their party.**

"**Recording bat sonar is like getting your teeth drilled!" he winced as he held up a tape-recorder.**

"**Let's roll!" They headed for the door, Z reading the personal records and she piped up.**

"**According to these, Miss French was born in 1907! She' like ninety now!"**

"**And very well-preserved!" Cruger chimed in.**

**In a few minutes, the trio had reached Miss French's house.**

"**What now exactly? We can't kick the door down!" Cruger pointed out.**

"**Yeah, that would be wrong!" Bridge gave him a hands-on-the-hips glare and moved to kick down the door, but it was opened by an old woman.**

"**Hello dear!" the woman said kindly. "I thought I heard . . . are you selling something? I'd like to help you out , but . . . you see, I'm on a fixed income."**

"**I'm looking for Miss French," Bridge said with a fake smile, masking his worry.**

"**I'm Miss French," the woman smiled back.**

"**Miss Natalie French, the substitute biology teacher?" Z asked with a bit of disbelief.**

"**Goodness, that's me. I haven't taught in thirty years!" she laughed.**

**Bridge turned to Cruger, "I can't believe this! She used Miss French's **

**records to get into school! She could be anywhere!"**

"**Dear, I'm right here!" the woman said, puzzled.**

**Dl**

"**What's she doing?" Jack gulped.**

"**I think it's eeny, meeny, miney-"**

"**Moe?" Jack swallowed again, terrifies.**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Natalie opened the door to the cage and Jack crawled out on his butt, bar in hand.**

"**I'm comin', I'm comin'," he muttered in a shaking voice.**

**As soon as he was out, he swung the bar, hitting Natalie in the face. While she was stunned, he ran up the stairs, but she tripped him with her claw, causing him to fall down again.**

"**What do we do know?" Z asked as she, Cruger and Bridge began walking back to the car.**

"**Abject prayer and supplication come to mind," Cruger sighed.**

"**She lives in this neighborhood. I saw her carry grocery bags past the park," he stopped at a manhole and moved the cover.**

"**I won't be long!" he jumped in.**

"**Wha? Bridge?" Cruger called.**

**Dl**

**Jack was tied to the pole in Natalie's basement with leather straps and the mantis was in his face.**

"**Oh yeah, here it comes!" Blaine said terrified.**

"**Here what comes?" Jack yelled.**

"**How do you like your eggs bro? Over easy or sunny-side up?"**

"**Eggs? She's gonna lay some-" he stopped as he remembered something Natalie had said about the mantis. **_**The mantis lays her eggs and then finds a mate to fertilize them**_

"**Oh crap!" he said, terrified.**

"**Come on Bridge!" Z yelled into the manhole. She looked up at the sound of bushes rustling and saw Bridge shove Claw Guy out with his hands tied.**

"**You!" the vampire snarled.**

"**Me!" Bridge scowled at him and pushed him to Natalie's street while Z and Cruger followed.**

"**Come on, where is she? Which house is it? I know you're afraid of her, I saw it! Come on!"**

**Claw Guy began to react to Natalie's presence and Bridge noticed.**

"**This is her house isn't it? This is it! Better than radar!" Bridge turned to Cruger and Z, not noticing Claw Guy cut his ropes raise his arm behind him.**

"**Bridge!" Z yelled, pointing at him.**

**Bridge leaned forward, missing the swipe and then whipped around while Cruger and Z went to a safe distance. He walked backward, but tripped over a pipe, hitting a small picket fence. Claw Guy roared and attacked, slicing a thin part along the Slayer's arm while Bridge tore off one of the pickets and stabbed him with it, effectively dusting him. Cruger let out a sigh of relief**

**Dl**

"**Kiss me!" Natalie laughed as she closed in on the bound Jack, "kiss me!"**

"**Can I just say one thing?" Jack asked, "Heeellllppppp!!!!"**

**The window crashed open and Bridge leaped in with his bag. "Ask and you shall receive!" he grinned and then scowled at Natalie, "Let him go!"**

**Z came in as well along with Cruger while Bridge took out two cans of bug spray and sprayed Natalie in the face, causing her to shriek. Bridge pointed at Jack when Cruger came down while Z helped free Blaine.**

"**Get them outta here!" Bridge yelled and as he grabbed his machete and the tape recording. Cruger began to free Jack while Z freed Blaine. Natalie retreated to the back of her nest while Bridge closed in on her.**

"**Remember Dr. Gregory? You scarfed his head? Yeah, well, he taught me to do my home-work, you learn stuff. Like what happens to your nervous system when you hear this!" he clicked on the tape-recorder and Cruger's voice came through.**

"**It is extremely important to file not simply alphabetically . . ." Bridge stared at the machine in disbelief.**

"**Cruger!" he yelled.**

"**It's on the wrong side!" the Watcher yelled back.**

**Natalie knocked the machete and the recorder from Bridge's hands. Cruger watched the recorder fly over his head and slide beneath the refrigerator. He scrambled to get it while Bridge turned his attention to Natalie, who tried to trip him, but Bridge jumped over the claw. Jack came up next to him and sprayed a can of bug spray in Natalie's face. Bridge pushed him away from the danger and got knocked down for his trouble. He pushed himself up on his hands and kicked back at her to keep her at bay. The Slayer grabbed his machete while Cruger came up and played the tape-recording, the sounds of the bat sonar disorienting her.**

"**Bat sonar. Makes your entire nervous system go to hell. And you can go with it!" Bridge began slashing at Natalie, hacking her into pieces. Cruger got up along with Z and Blaine, while Bridge bent over slightly, winded.**

"**Well, I'll say it' deceased," Cruger supplied.**

"**And dissected," Z added.**

"**You okay?" Jack asked Bridge.**

"**Yeah," he managed to get out.**

"**Just for the record, you were right, I'm an idiot and God bless you! Thanks to you guys too," he added, looking back at the others.**

"**Yeah, thanks," Blaine added.**

"**I'm really glad you're okay!" Z smiled. "It's unfair how she only went for virgins!"**

**Jack laughed and looked back and firth between Z and the winded Slayer, "What?"**

"**I mean, here you are doing the right thing when most guys your age-" she was cut off by Blaine.**

"**Flag down on that play, babe. I'm not-"**

"**Well, you see that's the She-Mantis modus operandi. Um, she only preys on the pure," Cruger said.**

"**Well, is this the perfect ending to a wonderful day!" Jack said happily.**

"**This does not get out, okay? My dad is a lawyer, you'll be facing a lawsuit!" Blaine threatened.**

"**Blaine, shut up!" Jack yelled.**

"**I don't think it's bad, I think it's-" she shut up as Jack took Bridge's machete.**

"**-sweet. I won't be mentioning this."**

**Jack took the machete to Natalie's nest and began hacking away.**

**Dl**

**A couple days later, Bridge was sitting on one of the bar stools of the Bronze wearing Sky's jacket. He sensed a presence behind him and turned to see Sky smiling at him.**

"**I heard a rumor there was, uh, one less vampire making a nuisance of himself," he said smoothly.**

"**There is. I guess I should thank you for the tip," Bridge smiled back.**

"**Pleasure's mine," he said with his smile.**

"**Course, it would make things easier if I knew how to contact you," eh added.**

"**I'll be around."**

"**Or who you were?"**

**Sky just smiled and moved to his other side. Bridge looked down and then began to remove the jacket.**

"**Well . . . anyway, you can have your jacket back." Sky stopped him by catching his hands and putting the jacket back on.**

"**It looks better on you," he muttered and then walked away. Bridge stared after him and Sky turned around to give him another look before disappearing into the crowd.**

"**Oh, boy, wow!" Bridge turned back to his drink.**

**The next day, the class had a new biology teacher.**

"**All mid-term papers will be exactly six pages long, no more, no less. One third of you grade will be dependant-"**

**Bridge was daydreaming again in his seat, but still listening to his teacher. The bell rang and everyone got up to leave. Bridge saw Dr. Gregory's glasses on the lab bench where he had left them and picked them up, remembering his favorite teacher and his advice. He saw Gregory's lab coat on the coat hanger and put the glasses in the pocket. He began to leave the room but felt a tingle. He looked back and then dismissed the feeling, closing the door behind him.**

**Underneath the desk, there was a nest of She-Mantis eggs and as the Slayer closed the door, one of the eggs hatched.**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**And episode four is done! Ah, I feel satisfied on getting this out so early! Oh and I've heard that posting chaps in bold completely is forbidden on Is it true? If it is, I'll post the next chap in normal, so tell me in your review, if you know.**


	5. Never Kill a Boy on the First Date

**Disclaimer: Don't own it**

**Episode 5: Never kill a boy on the first date**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Bridge kicked a vampire in the face with a roundhouse kick, forcing him to step backwards. He tried to kick the Slayer, but he jumped back. The vamp tried two punches which Bridge blocked neatly as well. On the third punch, Bridge grabbed onto his wrist and kicked him in the midsection, before flipping him onto his back.**

"**Hi, we haven't been properly introduced!" Bridge pulled out a stake. "I'm Bridge, and you're history!" he plunged it into the vamp, causing him to explode into dust.**

"**Slayer: one, vamp: zero," he commented as Cruger stepped out from behind a tombstone. The two were in the Sunnydale cemetery, looking out for newly-sired vamps.**

"**Poor technique, prioritizing, sub-par . . . execution was adequate, but a bit too bloody for my tastes," he winced at the blood on Bridge's knuckles. The Slayer saw him looking and wiped his hands on his jacket while rolling his eyes.**

"**No problem, Cruger. I was **_**happy**_** to make the world safe for humanity again."**

"**I'm not saying that your methods are without merit!" he tried to pacify his Slayer, not looking up to having to face one of his tantrums on how no one appreciated what he did. "It's, uh, you're wasting too much energy. It should be **_**plunge**_** and move on, **_**plunge**_** and move-" he stopped at the sight of a ring on the ground.**

**Bridge raised an eyebrow at him and waved his hands in the air, "This is great! I slay and you fence their stuff." He snickered at the look on Cruger's face and then sobered instantly, "What is it?"**

"**I don't know."**

"**But it bothers you."**

"**I thought that vampire was just a random kill. Apparently not. I'll need to consult my books."**

**Meanwhile in the Master's lair, the Master slammed a book on the lectern and began to read.**

"**And there will be a time of crisis, of worlds hanging in the balance. And in this time shall come the Anointed, the Master's greatest warrior. And the Slayer will not know him and he will lead him into Hell. Five will die and from their ashes, the Anointed shall rise. The Brethren of Aurelius shall greet him and usher him to his immortal destiny. Here endeth the lesson."**

**He walked away after slamming the book shut.**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Bridge sat on a table in the library, studying the ring while Cruger stepped down from the stacks, leafing through a book in his hand.**

"**The symbol on the ring . . . I believe it's the rune of infidelity, but it doesn't connect with any of the sects I've studied," he muttered.**

**Bridge turned the ring in his fingers and spotted a symbol. "What about this? A sun and three stars. Haven't we seen that before?" he leafed through one of the books in front of him.**

"**Um, I don't think this represents-" Cruger was cut off by Bridge thrusting a book under his nose.**

"**Here it is! Yuck, check these guys out!" he made a face at the picture, "toldja it looked familiar!"**

"**The Order of Aurelius. You were right," Cruger muttered and Bridge grinned wildly.**

"**Ooh, two points for the Slayer, while the Watcher has yet to score!"**

**A young dark haired teen, a year senior to Bridge, walked in and came up to the table where Cruger and his Slayer were sitting. Bridge looked up as he came in and smiled.**

"**Owen, hi!"**

**Cruger looked up at the new teen, "What do you want?"**

**Owen frowned, "Um, a book?"**

"**Oh!"**

**Bridge fought the urge to sigh, "See, this is a school, we have students and they check out books and then they learn things!"**

"**I was beginning to suspect that was a myth," Cruger added dryly.**

"**I lost my Emily Dickenson. I was hoping you'd have another one," Owen interrupted.**

"**Poetry," Cruger pointed at the stacks.**

"**I didn't think I'd find you here," Owen looked at Bridge as he climbed the stairs.**

"**Why not?" the Slayer asked as he followed him up.**

"**You don't seem bookwormy. The type of person who would lock themselves up in a dark room with a lot of musty books." He looked up from examining one of the stacks and saw Bridge's expression, "And now I've offended you."**

"**No, it's not that. I'm surprised you gave any thoughts as to what I'm like," Bridge shook his head.**

"**You shouldn't be," Owen found his book and took it down to Cruger.**

"**Well, I love books."**

**Owen looked at the occult book on the table and tried to see it, but Bridge came in his way.**

"**Not this one!"**

"**This one he doesn't love," Cruger added. He took the book from Owen, "Emily Dickenson. She's a good poet for a-"**

"**Girl?" Bridge asked teasingly.**

"**I was going to say American."**

**Owen took his book and turned to Bridge giving him a wink, "I'll see you in math . . . if I open my eyes at some point."**

"**Fine," Bridge smiled as he left.**

"**The Order of Aurelius is a very old and venerated sect. if they're here, it's for a good reason," Cruger continued and then stopped as he saw Bridge's attention was else where.**

"**That was Owen!" he said excitedly.**

"**Yes, I remember," he said.**

"**Do you have any more copies of Emily Dickenson? I need one!"**

"**Bridge, while the mere fact of you wanting to check out a book would be grounds for a national holiday, I think we should focus on the problem at hand!" Cruger growled in annoyance.**

"**Yes of course we should!" Bridge sat down and then looked up at him.**

"**Do you think he likes me?"**

**Dl**

**Z stared at Bridge while they paid for lunch.**

"**Owen Thurman was talking to you?" she asked in disbelief.**

"**It's all true," Bridge grinned at her.**

"**Wow! He hardly talks to anyone. He's solitary, mysterious . . . he can brood for forty minutes straight! I've clocked him!"**

"**He was so nice, it was eerie!"**

"**What did you guys talk about?"**

**Bridge started back for their table, "Emily Dickenson."**

**Z looked impressed, "He's manly, yet sensitive! Wait, you've never even read her!"**

"**Actually I used to. But with the whole moving here thing, I lost my copy," Bridge nodded.**

**Z looked towards their table, "Isn't that Owen?"**

**Bridge was about to respond when Syd interrupted him.**

"**Ooh, an empty seat," she said, bumping into Bridge, causing him to drop his tray.**

"**Eww," he made a face and bent down to clean it up while Z tried to find a table to put her tray down on before going to help.**

"**Let me get that," Owen smiled and bent down to help the Slayer.**

"**Thanks. Boy, I never knew Sydney's hips were that big," Bridge muttered in annoyance.**

"**Ha-ha," Syd said dryly.**

"**At least you don't have to eat your Soylent Green," Owen quipped.**

**Syd huffed and tried to get Owen's attention, "A bunch of us are loitering at the Bronze tonight, you wanna come?"**

"**Who all are going?" he looked at her.**

"**Well, um, I'm going to be there," Syd nodded.**

"**And?"**

"**You mean besides me?" Syd looked mortified at the fact that he had asked that question.**

"**Bridge, what about you?" Owen looked at him and Bridge blushed a bit.**

"**No, no, no! He, uh, doesn't like fun!" Syd tried to draw Owen's attention away from the Slayer he was staring intently at.**

"**How about we meet there at eight tonight?" he smiled at him.**

"**Eight, there!" Bridge smiled back and stood up with his empty tray. He dropped it on Syd's lunch before leaving, causing Owen to snicker.**

**Dl**

**Bridge sighed as Z gave him a knowing smiled as they walked to the library.**

"**It's not that big a deal! Just a bunch of people getting together!"**

"**Please!" Z scoffed, "It's a very big deal!"**

"**It's not!"**

"**It is!" Z turned to Cruger as they entered the library, who had his nose buried in a book. "Tell him!" she demanded, pointing at Bridge.**

"**I'm afraid it's very big," he said without looking up.**

"**Thank you!" Z turned with a smile to Bridge and then both their faces took on confused looks and turned back to the Watcher, "Wait."**

"**What are you talking about?" Z asked him.**

"**What are you talking about?" he looked up from the book.**

"**Boys!" Bridge and Z said in unison.**

"**I'm talking about trouble. A violent and disturbing prophecy is about to be fulfilled," Cruger sighed.**

"**Order of Aurelius," Bridge remembered.**

"**You were right about the connection. I've looked at the writings of Aurelius himself and he prophesied that the brethren of his order would come to the Master and bring him the Anointed."**

"**Who's that?" Z asked.**

"**Well, I-I don't know exactly, a-a warrior, but it says he will rise from the ashes of the Five on the evening of the thousandth day after the Advent of Septus," he frowned.**

"**Well, we'll be ready for it, whenever it is," Bridge nodded.**

"**It's tonight," Cruger said dead-panned.**

"**Tonight, okay!" Bridge said with a determined nod and then had a look of horror on his face, "Not okay! It can't be tonight!"**

"**My calculations are precise," Cruger said indignantly.**

"**Bad calculations, bad!"**

"**Bridge has a really important date!" Z looked mortified.**

"**Alright, I'll just jump in my time-machine, go back to the twelfth century and ask the vampires to postpone their ancient prophecy so you can do on a date!" Cruger said sarcastically.**

**Bridge raised an eyebrow, "Okay, at this point, you're abusing sarcasm!"**

"**Bridge, this is no ordinary vampire! We have to stop him from reaching the Master!"**

"**But . . . cute guy . . . teenager . . . fantasies," Bridge protested.**

"**Those will just have to be put on hold! The dark forces are aligning against us, and we have a chance to beat them back. Tonight we go into battle!"**

**Later that night, Bridge and Cruger sat on a large gravestone, Bridge looking as though he was ready to kill something and Cruger looking sheepish.**

"**Perhaps I miscalculated," Cruger said.**

"**I'm thinking yes," Bridge said dead-panned.**

"**Well, you know what they say! Ninety percent of the slaying game is waiting!" the Watcher tried to save face, but that was impossible with his Slayer.**

"**You couldn't have told me that ninety percent ago?"**

"**Well, we've waited here long enough," he sighed as he got up.**

"**Then can I bail?" Bridge jumped up with new energy.**

"**Fine," he sighed, "follow your hormones. But I hope I don't have to remind you of the risks involved in being with someone?"**

"**I've read the back of the box," Bridge picked up his bag.**

"**If your identity as the Slayer is revealed it could put you and all those around you in grave danger."**

"**Well, in that case I won't wear my button that says, 'I'm a **

**Slayer. Ask me how'!" he sighed at Cruger's look. "Good night!"**

**Cruger began to head back as well, "I was so sure it was tonight."**

**On the outskirts of town, a bus with five people sped down the highway. A young child, no older than ten, named Collin looked at a rugged, muscular man named Andrew.**

"**I went on a plane," Collin said blandly. Andrew paid no attention to him and muttered under his breath.**

"**A pale horse emerged with death as its rider. You will be **

**judged. You will be judged."**

**In the Bronze, Bridge came in and looked around for Owen. He saw him dancing closely with Syd and looked on, crushed at the sight of them together. He silently left the hangout and went straight home, not noticing another pair of piercing blue eyes looking at him sadly from the shadows.**

**Back on the bus, Andrew had gotten up and was standing in the aisle.**

"**That day's gonna bring fire. Fire coming down! Judgment! Don't think you're ready, ready to look upon him. If there's sin in there, there's sin all around. It's a liquid. On that day there won't be anybody telling us what to do or why we're doing it. You can't prepare. On that day . . ."**

"**Hey, sit down!" the driver yelled at him. One of the brethren stepped in front of the bus, causing the bus to hit him, swerve and hit a pole.**

"**Is everyone okay?" the driver yelled. The passengers looked at each other, shaken but okay. The driver got out to check the victim.**

"**Are you all right? Can you move?" he asked.**

**The vampire grabbed him by the throat and began to choke him. Another one punched through a window, grabbed Andrew by the throat, pulling him out before biting him. The vampires all climbed into the bus to get the other people.**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**The next morning, Bridge slammed his locker shut and leaned on it.**

"**So you just went home?" Jack asked, leaning beside him.**

"**What else was I supposed to do? Say to Owen, 'Sorry I was late. I was sitting on a gravestone with a librarian, waiting for a vampire to rise so that I could prevent an evil prophecy from coming to pass'?" he sighed.**

**Jack looked thoughtful for a second, "Or flat tire?"**

**Bridge shoved off his locker and began walking down the hall, "I can't take this anymore. I feel like everyone is staring at me like I'm the big, hideous, dateless monster."**

**Jack looked over at him, "Come on, Bridge, you could have any guy in the school!"**

"**He's not any guy! He's . . . Oweny," Bridge frowned and leaned on another locker besides Jack's.**

"**Sure, he's got the Owen factor, but there are plenty of guys with that! A lot can read!" Jack grinned at Bridge, "I can read!"**

**Bridge, once again, missed the hint and continued to look down. Owen came up to him and stood in front of him.**

"**Owen?" Bridge looked confused, Jack murderous.**

"**It's Owen!" Jack said and then faltered at the look Bridge threw at him, "Bridge and Owen. And Jack. That'd be me."**

"**Where were you last night?" Owen asked, not taking note of Jack's babble.**

"**Long story. Watch related," Bridge sighed.**

"**How about we try for tonight? I'll even lend you my watch," he held out his gold watch and Bridge took it. Jack looked at it, wide-eyed, and then back down at his Tweety wristwatch.**

"**I heard that you and Sydney were . . . a thing," Bridge said softly, looking to the side.**

"**I danced with her a couple times." He made a face, "she's kinda grabby."**

**Bridge smiled at him, "Tonight's fine."**

"**Great. I'll pick you up at seven," Owen waved and walked off.**

"**Isn't that so?" Bridge watched Owen go and addressed the question to Jack.**

"**What?" Jack asked.**

"**Me and Owen," Bridge said dreamily before walking off. Jack watched him go and sighed.**

"**Yeah, so it is," he closed his locker and sighed. "Is sure is so."**

**Dl**

"**Oh, my head," Cruger moaned, sitting down to have some tea after a long hard period of research. He looked up as Bridge barged in.**

"**Hey, how's it going?" he asked in a chipper tone.**

"**Uh, alright," the Watcher asked warily. **_**He's only nice when he wants something**_**, he thought.**

"**That's great!** **I see we're still working on that Anointed One problem, that'll probably take you a few days, right? I mean, that's one obscure prophecy . . ."**

"**Well, yes. There are a few interpretations."**

"**So tonight's looking slow, right? Probably best to relax and regroup, no big disasters coming, that is **_**so**_** good, I will see you tomorrow then! Bye!" He left before Cruger could understand whatever he had babbled.**

"**He is the strangest boy," the Watcher mumbled before turning back to his tea.**

**Meanwhile, the Master was testing his mystical confines in his lair while the brethren looked on.**

"**You have done well. Everything is in place. When this night's work is done, I will have a mighty ally. I'll be one step closer to freeing myself from this . . . mystical prison. I've been trapped down here so long I've nearly forgotten what it's like on the surface. Well, there'll be time enough to remember . . . when I rule it! If she tries to stop you, kill her. Give your own lives, but do not fail to bring the Anointed. I know you won't disappoint me."**

**Dl**

"**Come on, guys, I need help!" Bridge whined as they sat in his room.**

"**With what?" Jack asked.**

"**Tell me how I should act on my date! Do I want to appear shy, coy and naive- to coin Z's phrase- or aggressive and unrestrained?" Bridge weighed the options on his hands.**

"**So basically, you want to know if you should be in Bridge mode or Slayer mode?" the teen asked, confused.**

"**In a way, yeah."**

"**Well, Owen is a little homey, so don't be aggressive. And, you can wear this!" he took out a couple things from his wardrobe. "A nice comfy overcoat and a ski cap! The flaps will bring out your eyes!"**

**Bridge and Z exchanged a look, "Let's get back to that. Another guy's opinion needed for this. what should I do if Owen kisses me?"**

"**Oh, you mean kissing you and then telling all his friends how easy you are so the whole school loses respect for you and then talks behind your back?" Jack asked innocently.**

"**Thanks," Bridge said dryly and then looked at the watch and yelped, "I have to get ready!" Z turned around to give him privacy and then both of them glared at Jack.**

"**What? You're not bothering me!" he protested. Z rolled her eyes and turned him around. Bridge quickly changed and Jack fumbled with the mirror he was holding. Fortunately, he was saved by the doorbell.**

"**That's Owen!" Bridge said excitedly. He went downstairs and opened the door to reveal-**

"**That's Cruger," he said blandly.**

"**We need to talk," the Watcher said quickly.**

"**Bridge isn't home!" the Slayer made to shut the door, but Cruger got in.**

"**My calculations might not be as off as I though. Five have died in a car accident!** **Out of the ashes of five, shall rise the one. That's the prophecy! Five people have died!" he exclaimed.**

"**In a car crash," Bridge raised an eyebrow.**

"**I know it doesn't quite follow, but it's worth investigating. Look! Among the dead was Andrew Borba, whom the police sought for questioning in a double murder. Now, he may be the Anointed One. The bodies have been taken to Sunnydale Funeral Home, we can-"**

"**Cruger, why do you wanna hurt me?? Bridge interrupted.**

"**I beg your pardon?" he asked confused.**

"**Hey!" a voice at the door caused them to turn around to see Owen standing outside.**

"**You have a date?" the Watcher asked in a disbelieving voice.**

"**Yes, but I will return those overdue books by tomorrow!" Bridge tried to push him out the door.**

"**Wait, you're not getting off that easily!" Cruger turned to him.**

"**Man, you really care about your work!" Owen commented.**

"**Owen, about tonight," Z came down with Jack and they led Owen away into the living room.**

"**You have **_**another**_** date? Don't you do anything **_**else**_**?" Cruger asked once they were out of ear-shot.**

"**This is my **_**first**_** date! There's never been a date before this, okay? This is my maiden voyage!" Bridge hissed.**

**Meanwhile, Owen was asking Z and Jack about Bridge.**

"**He doesn't like to dance?" Owen asked.**

"**Well, it's a little too late to do anything about that. Uh, you should probably know that Bridge doesn't like to be kissed. Actually he doesn't like to be touched," Jack nodded.**

"**Jack . . ." Z sighed.**

"**As a matter of fact, don't even look at him!" Jack suggested.**

**In the foyer, Bridge and Cruger were still arguing.**

"**Look, we don't even know if this means anything," Bridge pointed out.**

"**No, we don't," Cruger agreed.**

"**And I haven't had a day off in a while."**

"**True, but-"**

"**And a cranky Slayer is a careless Slayer!" Bridge finished his rant.**

"**Bridge, maintaining a normal social life as a Slayer, is problematic at the least!" Cruger pleaded.**

"**This is the 90's, okay? If Clark Kent has a day job, why not me? I just wanna go on a date like a normal person," he sighed.**

**Cruger sighed, giving in to the sad look on his Slayer's face, "Well, I suppose it is a rather slim lead."**

**Bridge looked up and gave him a brilliant smile, "Thank you. Listen, I won't go far. If the apocalypse comes, beep me!"**

**Owen came into the room, "Everything cool?"**

"**Yup!" Bridge turned to him.**

"**You'll face a hefty fine in the morning!" Cruger mock-warned.**

"**Fine, bye!" Bridge left with Owen.**

"**Is everything okay?" Z asked him.**

"**Fine, but I'm going to the funeral home, just to be sure," Cruger left with those words.**

"**This is bad. We should follow him," Z looked at Jack.**

"**Yeah, I don't trust that Owen guy. It's the eyes. Crazy!" Jack nodded.**

"**No, we should go with Cruger! He could get in trouble!" Z exclaimed.**

"**Oh, he's gone? Uh, he's gonna be alright. He's like super librarian, y'know? Everyone forgets, Z, that knowledge is the ultimate weapon."**

**Dl**

**Bridge and Owen sat at a table in the Bronze, talking about Emily Dickenson.**

"**The thing I like about her is that she gets so . . . morbid at times. A lot of loss, a lot of death . . . it gets me. With a lot of bees for some reason," Owen looked confused for a second.**

"**She had a quiet, sequestered life," Bridge nodded.**

"**I can relate to that. I don't get out much," Owen looked down.**

"**Why?" Bridge frowned.**

"**It's my fault. I just find most girls pretty frivolous. As for guys, they're just a pain in the butt. I mean, there's a lot more important things in life than dating, y'know?" He looked up as a slow sing began to play and then took Bridge's hand, "Come on."**

**They danced close to each other and then Owen frowned.**

"**It's weird."**

"**What is?" Bridge looked up at him.**

"**You. One minute you're right there. I've got you figured. The next, it's like you're two people!" he chuckled.**

"**Which one do you like?" Bridge smiled.**

"**I'll let you know," he teased.**

**Unknown to them, Syd entered the Bronze with some of her friends. She saw Bridge and Owen dancing close to each other and scowled.**

"**There should be a law against that type of thing!" she huffed and then walked up to them. "Owen! Look at you, here all alone!"**

**Owen looked at her with slight annoyance, "Sydney, I'm here with Bridge."**

"**Oh. Okay, do you wanna dance?" she asked, acting as though Bridge wasn't even there.**

"**No, I'm still here with Bridge."**

"**You are so good to help the needy!"**

"**Sydney," Bridge said with forced calmness, "Owen and I would like to be alone right now, and for that to happen, you would have to go somewhere that's away."**

**Syd scowled at him and then turned to Owen again, "Well, let me know when you're ready for the big leagues!" she left.**

**Bridge and Owen watched her go, "I hate her," they said in unison. They glanced at each other before laughing.**

**While they were having fun, Cruger drove up to the Sunnydale Funeral Home in his ancient car. He got out, slung his bag over his shoulder and started around his car to the building. He continued toward the building, but suddenly stopped short at a tingling feeling he got, as though someone was watching his every move. He looked around to see nothing. As he turned back to his path, he started to see one of the brethren in front of him. Cruger began to back away, only to back into another one behind him. At this point, he said the only thing that came into his mind.**

"**Damn."**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Cruger looked at the brethren of the Order of Aurelius surrounding him and wondered how to escape them long enough to contact Bridge. **_**The bag! Of course!**_** He mentally berated himself and then pulled out a cross, making a dash for the building while they cowered in pain from the Holy object. He ran to the flower object room and found it to be locked. The brethren came behind him.**

**He tried the door of the morgue and found it to be unlocked. He rushed in and began to barricade the door with cupboards and a filing cabinet. The brethren pounded at the door, but were unable to open it. Cruger looked around to find a way out, but the windows were barred. He looked out and got a shock.**

"**AH!" he exclaimed.**

"**Sorry! It's us!" Z said sheepishly as she and Jack crouched in front of the window.**

"**What are you doing here?"**

"**We saw two guys come after you. Are they-"**

"**They are!" Cruger interrupted Jack, "get to safety!"**

"**Can you get out?" Z asked.**

"**No."**

"**Look. Maybe this is a job for Bridge?" Jack questioned.**

"**Yes. He's at the Bronze. I don't have the number of his . . . ah . . . beeping thing," Cruger looked embarrassed that he hadn't asked bridge about the number earlier.**

"**Look, we'll get him. You hang on!" Jack and Z left running.**

"**Do hurry!"**

**Dl**

"**Want something to eat?" Owen asked Bridge, smiling.**

"**Sure," he smiled back. Behind their backs, Syd was talking to one of her friends.**

"**What a disgusting display. Is that really appropriate behavior in a public forum? I've seen anyone throw themselves at a guys like that!" she scoffed. She fell silent as Sky walked into the Bronze, looking around.**

"**Hello, salty goodness!" she turned to her friend, "pick up the phone, call 911. That boy is gonna need some serious oxygen after I'm through with him."**

**She began to follow him, but stopped as she saw him approaching Bridge.**

"**Bridge," he said.**

"**Sky," the Slayer responded with a sigh.**

**Syd sighed, "why is this happening to me?"**

"**I was hoping I'd find you here," Sky added.**

"**You were?" Bridge asked , surprised.**

"**There's some heavy stuff going on tonight. You should be out there!"**

_**Ouch!**_** Bridge thought and then sighed, "Not you, too!" he made to move away.**

"**What do you know?" Sky stopped him.**

"**Prophecy, Anointed One, yadda, yadda, yadda!"**

"**So you know. Fine. Just thought I'd warn you," Sky let him go.**

"**Warn me? You see that guy there?" Bridge turned and pointed at Owen, "he came here to be with me!"**

"**You're on a date?" Sky asked, masking the jealousy and sadness in his voice with surprise.**

"**Yes! Why is that such a shock to everyone?" Bridge asked exasperated.**

"**Here you go," Owen handed a latte to Bridge, who introduced him to Sky.**

"**Owen, this is Sky. Sky, this is Owen," Bridge said quickly.**

"**So where do you know Bridge from?" Owen questioned, slightly suspicious of the other man.**

"**Work."**

"**You work?" Owen asked Bridge.**

"**Bridge!" Z called out as she and Jack came up to the Slayer, out of breath.**

"**Look at this! You show up **_**everywhere**_**! Interesting!" Owen commented, putting his arm around Bridge.**

"**You don't know half of it!" Jack pointed at him, inwardly bristling at the closeness between the two and then pointed at Sky, "what is he doing here?"**

"**The same thing you're doing here, I guess," Sky pointed out dryly.**

"**Excuse me, but what are **_**any**_** of you doing here?" Bridge interrupted.**

"**Look, we gotta get to, uh . . . we thought it'd be fun if, uh, we made this a double date!" Jack thought quickly as he and Z put their arms around each other.**

"**I didn't know you guys were seeing each other," Bridge said suspiciously.**

"**Ah," Z started, "Oh, yeah, well, we knew it would happen eventually, so we figured, why fight it?"**

"**And you were thinking of double?" Bridge questioned with thinly disguised impatience.**

"**You know, we thought it would be fun if we went to the Sunnydale Funeral Home!" Jack said enthusiastically.**

"**I've **_**always**_** wanted to got there!" Z added.**

"**That sounds kinda cool! Can we get in?" Owen asked.**

"**We saw some guys in there before. They seemed to be," he looked at Bridge, "**_**having fun!**_**"**

"**Bite me!" Bridge said to himself and then looked at Sky, who gave him an 'I told you so' look.**

"**Owen, I gotta go," Bridge said to him.**

"**I thought we were going to the Funeral Home?" he asked.**

"**No, you can't. I'll tell you what. I'll be back in a little while," Bridge ran off with Z and Jack after Owen nodded. He doubled back, laid a kiss on Owen's lips and then ran off again.**

"**He's the strangest boy," Owen said to Sky, who was inwardly fuming at the kiss.**

**Dl**

**Bridge ran in through the front door of the Funeral Home and looked around with Jack and Z.**

"**Which way?"**

"**The room's in the back," Z pointed and they headed that way, only to hit a dead end.**

"**Damn it!" Bridge growled.**

"**This is so cool!" Owen exclaimed form behind them, causing them to jump.**

"**Owen? You can't be here!" Bridge said in disbelief.**

"**Oh, and I suppose you guys are allowed? What are we doing here? Are we gonna see a dead body?" he asked excitedly.**

"**Possibly several," Bridge muttered and then to Jack and Z, "watch him," before running off.**

"**Is he mad?" Owen asked worriedly.**

"**He's just making sure there are no guards around," Z thought up quickly.**

"**Good thinking," Owen commented.**

"**Good thinking," Jack muttered to Z.**

**Bridge ran into one of the rooms to find it in complete shambles, the windows torn open. Cruger's bag was in one of the hospital gurneys along with his cross. Bridge passed by the body storage closet and one of them opened in front of him and a drawer rolled out.**

"**Cruger!" Bridge exclaimed, shocked.**

"**It **_**is**_** you. Thank God," he sighed from where he was lying.**

"**What happened?"**

"**Uh, two more of the brethren came in here. They came after me. But I was more than a match for them."**

"**Meaning . . ." Bridge trailed off with a good-natured smile.**

"**I hid. Uh, this chap was good enough to bunk with me till they went away," he hopped off.**

"**Why were they after you? The prophecy?" Bridge questioned.**

"**Ah, well, that's what we have to find out. I don't know what these brethren mean to do exactly. Find the Anointed, or give him something perhaps, uh, it's all very vague. And the Anointed may be long gone!"**

"**Or he may not! I need to get Owen and the others out of harm's way," Bridge began to walk off.**

"**You brought a date?" Cruger asked.**

"**I didn't **_**bring**_** him. He followed!" Bridge said indignantly.**

"**Bridge,** **when I said you could slay vampires and have a social life, I didn't mean at the same time!"**

"**I know, I'll get rid of him! Wait here," he ran out and back to Jack, Owen and Z.**

"**Everything okay?" Z asked.**

"**Yup!" Bridge said with a fake smile.**

"**So we'll be leaving?"**

"**We're not done looking around!" Owen protested.**

"**No, she's right. So let's find a nice, safe, fun room to look around in."**

**Bridge grabbed Owen's hand and led them to the office. He spotted the lock on the door and snapped it with his Slayer strength.**

"**I have to go now," he said with a nervous laugh, "to the bathroom, I have to go to the bathroom. If you hear anything, like a security guard or something, just be really quiet," he whispered to Jack and Z, "barricade the door."**

**He left the room and walked back to the morgue while Jack and Z shut the door.**

**Dl**

"**Ew, parts!" Bridge stuck out his tongue as he and Cruger went through the different drawers.**

"**The Anointed One must be here somewhere!" the Watcher exclaimed.**

"**What are you guys doing?" Owen asked confused as he watched Jack and Z barricade the door.**

"**Just in case," Z nodded.**

**Owen pulled back one of the curtains and saw a body covered with a sheet.**

"**Oh my!"**

**Dl**

"**Nothing," Bridge sighed as he opened the last drawer cell.**

"**The Anointed must be gone then," Cruger sighed.**

"**This is where they keep all the dead bodies, right?" Bridge asked.**

"**Yes."**

**Meanwhile, Jack, Z and Owen were staring at the dead body.**

"**I've read a lot about death, but I've . . . never really seen a dead body before," Owen said in fascination.**

**The hand began to move.**

"**Do they . . . move?" he asked in a scared tone.**

**The hand moved up and pulled of the sheet, revealing Andrew in full vamp-face.**

"**I have been judged!"**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Dl**

"**What's going on?" Owen asked, frightened.**

**Andrew walked up to the glass and smashed it with his forehead.**

"**He is risen in me! He fills my head with song!" he laughed.**

**Owen, Jack and Z began to move furniture away from the door as Andrew stepped through.**

"**Pork and beans, pork and beans!" the new vamp grinned.**

"**Come on!" Jack shoved away the last piece of furniture and they got the door open, running through it. Andrew began to follow them.**

"**You're the chaff, unblessed. I'll suck the blood from your hearts, he says I may!"**

"**Bridge!" Jack yelled and then bumped into a smaller, warm body, nearly knocking it down.**

"**Jack!" Bridge exclaimed, "what happened? We heard glass breaking!"**

"**He's in there!" Jack pointed.**

"**Get out of here!" Bridge yelled, running towards the door.**

"**Bridge!" Owen tried to go after him but Jack pulled him back.**

"**He'll be okay!" he shoved him towards the exit. They ran out, only to run into the brethren. Z screamed and Jack pulled her behind him as they ran back the way they came while the brethren locked the gate. The empty hall echoed with their footsteps and Andrew's singing voice.**

"**I think he's coming here!" Z exclaimed. They ran further, only to hit a dead end.**

"**This is too much!" Owen cried out.**

**Dl**

"**What've you got?" Bridge asked Cruger as they emptied his bag.**

"**What?" he looked at him.**

"**Do you have a stake?" Bridge asked, exasperated.**

"**Yes, here," he handed the Slayer one.**

"**Thank you!" he headed towards the door.**

"**What can I do?"**

"**Help the others get out!" Bridge turned to him. Andrew came up and grabbed him, throwing him against a cabinet. He hit his head against one of the drawers which knocked him out. Cruger ran to him.**

"**Bridge!"**

**Owen heard Cruger call out Bridge's name and began to head that way. Jack came in front of him.**

"**What are you doing?!"**

"**Someone has to help Bridge!" Owen ran off, Jack and Z followed him. He ran to the morgue to see Bridge unconscious, but on the floor and Cruger backing away from Andrew.**

"**They told me about you while I was sleeping," the vamp growled.**

**Cruger held up a cross, causing Andrew to flinch, but he knocked his hand away. He grabbed the Watcher and threw him into the crematory controls, causing the fire in the crematory chamber to light up. Andrew walked up to the unconscious Slayer, picking him up.**

"**Bridge!" Owen yelled, but Andrew paid him no heed, bringing the unconscious Slayer's neck closer to his fangs.**

"**No!" Owen grabbed a tray from a nearby table and swung it at Andrew's back, causing his knees to buckle. The vamp let go of Bridge, who slumped to the ground and turned around. Owen grabbed an urn and smashed it into his head, causing Andrew to fall. Owen ran to Bridge, who was just beginning to wake up.**

"**Did you see that? He tried to bite me! What a sissy!" he grinned.**

**Andrew got up and smashed a body drawer door into the back of Owen's head, causing him to fall to the ground.**

"**No!" Bridge yelled.**

"**Dead! he was found wanting!" Andrew grinned, but it faded as Bridge got up with a murderous look in his eyes and kicked him solidly in the stomach.**

**Andrew rolled over the gurney onto the floor as Bridge moved to the far end. As he got up, the Slayer pushed the gurney into his gut, before pushing down on his end, causing it to swing up and hit the vamp in the chin. Andrew staggered to the floor as Bridge leaped onto the gurney before flipping of it. The vamp swung at Bridge's face, but he blocked and punched him back. The second punch connected and Andrew taunted the Slayer as he got off the floor.**

"**You killed my date!" Bridge yelled. Jack and Z came running into the room. Z saw Owen groggily wake up from the blow.**

"**Bridge, Owen's-"**

"**Just give him a sec!" Jack slapped his hand over Z's mouth.**

**Bridge blocked another blow and then slammed his open palm into his stomach. As Andrew bent over, Bridge kneed him in the face, causing him to hit the counter. Andrew leaped at him and Bridge side-stepped, causing Andrew to hit the gurney, which began to move under his momentum. It hit the opening of the crematory chamber and stopped, but Andrew slid off into the flames. The newly revived Cruger slammed the door shut and Bridge watched as Andrew burned to his second-death.**

"**Anyone got an aspirin? Or sixty?" Owen moaned as he sat up. He looked around, "Where's that guy?"**

"**We scared him away," Bridge squatted next to him. "Let me help you up," he grabbed his arm, but Owen shrugged him off.**

"**I think I'll just walk home," Owen nodded and then frowned, "where's home?"**

"**I'll get you there," Bridge offered.**

"**I'll just go alone," he said, as though he hadn't heard the offer.**

"**We'll make sure he gets home safely," Z said softly as she and Jack led Owen away.**

**Cruger walked up to behind his Slayer, "Bridge, if I might . . ."**

"**Don't," Bridge softly cut him off and walked away.**

**Dl**

**The next night, Bridge, Jack and Z walked along the upper level of the Bronze, the Slayer still depressed about the day before.**

"**I knew it! I totally blew last night!" he groaned.**

"**No," Jack interrupted, "what you need is a guy who already knows your deepest, darkest secrets and still says, 'Hey! I like that guy!' Someone like . . ."**

"**Owen!" Bridge spotted the teen walking towards them.**

"**Well, this is our stop," Z dragged Jack away.**

"**Hi," Owen said to Bridge.**

"**Hi." a long pause, "this is going well."**

"**About last night . . ." Owen started.**

"**I'm sure you were freaked out," Bridge looked down.**

"**Totally. I was wondering when I could see you again," he smiled.**

**Bridge looked up at him, "Um, that was my hopeful ear. Could you repeat that?"**

"**I think you're the coolest!"**

"**Really?" Bridge smiled.**

"**I mean, last night was incredible! I never thought nearly getting killed would make me feel so . . . alive!"**

**Bridge walked around him, "So that's why you wanna be with me?"**

"**Absolutely!" he nodded, enthusiastically.**

"**Owen, you're a really nice guy. It's not you, its me."**

"**It's you," Owen began to get what the other boy was saying.**

"**Maybe we can still . . ."**

"**Be friends?" Owen finished, "sure."**

**Bridge watched Owen walk away and then turned to face Cruger who had walked up behind him. He went and sat on a chair nearby.**

"**What's up? Vamp problem?" Bridge sighed.**

"**No.** **I was ten years old when my father told me I was destined to be a Watcher. He was one, and his, uh, mother before him, and I was to be next."**

"**Were you thrilled beyond belief?" Bridge looked at him.**

"**No, I had very definite plans about my future. I was going to be a fighter pilot. Or possibly a grocer. Well, uh . . . My father gave me a very tiresome speech about, uh, responsibility and sacrifice."**

"**Sacrifice, huh?" Bridge looked at Owen's retreating back.**

"**Seems like a nice lad," Cruger commented.**

"**Yeah. But he wants to be danger man. You, Jack, Z, you guys... you guys know the score, you're careful. Two days in my world and Owen really **_**would**_** get himself killed. Or I'd get him killed," he looked at Cruger, "or someone else."**

"**I went to the Funeral House of my own free will," the Watcher commented, not wanting to see his Slayer beating himself over that matter.**

"**I should've been there!" Bridge looked at him.**

"**Bridge, I-"**

"**I screwed up!" he looked down again.**

"**I have volumes of lore, of prophecies, of predictions. But I don't have an instruction manual. We feel our way as we go along. And, I must say, as a Slayer, you're doing . . . pretty well," he put his hand on his shoulder.**

**Bridge smiled, "Well. At least I did stop that prophecy thing from **

**coming true."**

"**You did! Handily. No more Anointed One. And I would imagine the **

**Master, wherever he is, is having a fairly bad day himself," he smiled and Bridge laughed. The Watcher then got up and left the teen hang out.**

"**Come on, I know you're there," Bridge commented and turned around to see Sky walk towards his table.**

"**Warning or congratulations?" Bridge smiled slightly.**

"**None. Just . . . hanging out," Sky smiled back and sat down opposite him.**

"**Well, nice to see you can be a no-news man," Bridge smiled teasingly. He then took his roll and tore it in half, pushing the half on the plate towards Sky.**

"**What are you doing?" Sky looked shocked.**

"**Sharing!" Bridge took a bite of his own half, not noticing Sky's eyes light up in what looked like joy and awe, before he took a bite of his own half.**

**While the two of them ate the roll, the Master was walking around someone, while quoting scripture.**

"**And in this time will come the Anointed. And the Slayer will not know him. He will not stop him, and he will lead him into hell."**

**The Master knelt before the young boy, Collin, who had been talking to Andrew on the bus.**

"**Welcome, my friend."**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Oh no, this chap was really late and I'm really sorry! Between college admissions and my bro hogging the laptop for his games, I haven't had time to write! Hope you liked this chapter. It may not be as good as my previous ones, but it was either doing this quickly, or updating after another week!**


	6. The Pack

**Disclaimer: If I owned it, we'd be watching this.**

**Episode 6: The Pack.**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Dl**

"**Why am I here?" Bridge muttered as he walked along the path in the zoo alone, the principal's idea of a field trip. He looked up again and sighed as he saw Kyle and his gang, Rhonda, Tor and Heidi loitering about the signs.**

"**Hey look! It's Bridge and all his friends!" Kyle snickered.**

"**That's a witty!" Bridge crossed his arms over his chest.**

"**Do you ever wonder why no one cool hangs out with you?" Tor asked with a grin.**

"**Just thankful," Bridge retorted, trying to keep his cool.**

"**Were you this popular at your old school? Before you got kicked out?" Rhonda asked with a smirk. The group laughed and left Bridge alone, continuing the other way. Bridge covered his face with one hand.**

"**I came all the way from LA for this?" he sighed as he looked at the plaque by the elephants.**

"**Hey, Bridge!" an excited voice rang out and the person in question looked up to see Jack and Z coming towards him.**

"**You missed it!" Z grinned.**

"**Missed what?"**

"**We saw the zebras mating!" Jack nodded to Z, "thank you. Very exciting!"**

"**It was like the Heimlich. With stripes!" she said giddily. Bridge wrinkled his nose.**

"**Yet, **_**somehow**_**, I will learn to survive," Bridge began to walk off and the other teens followed him.**

"**Where were you?" Z asked, coming up next to him.**

"**Looking at fishes."**

"**Were they cool?"**

"**They were fishes," Bridge sighed and looked down at the ground. Z frowned at her friend's downcast demeanor.**

"**I think you're not in the field trip mood," Jack noted.**

"**We used to have the same thing in my school every year. Same old, same old," he sighed.**

**Jack thought for a moment and then brightened up, "Bridge, this isn't about the animals. This about not being in class!"**

**Bridge looked up at him and a grin spread on his face, "You know, you're right! The animals look all new and shiny! Thank you!" Bridge hugged him quickly and then turned back to his conversation with Z who had a smile on her face. Jack grinned dopily.**

"**Gotta have perspective!"**

**Bridge walked up to the hyena house and saw Kyle and his gang had been joined by Lance, a smart sophomore with a love for drawing. They had managed to sneak inside without the caretaker noticing.**

"**What are Kyle and his friends doing with Lance?" Z asked.**

"**Playing like a cat would with a mouse," Jack scowled.**

"**What's they're deal?" Bridge frowned.**

"**They're obnoxious. Professionally."**

"**Well, every school has them. So, you start a new school, you get your desks, some blackboards and some mean kids," Jack ticked them off his fingers.**

"**I better get Lance before-" Bridge was cut off by Jack pulling him back.**

"**I'll handle this. It doesn't involve actual slaying," he got into the house as well.**

"**We should go too . . ." Bridge and Z made to come in, but were caught by the gate-keeper and pulled out.**

"**Oh, hold it, hold it, are you blind, or are you just illiterate? Because hyenas are very quick to prey on the weak!" he frowned.**

**Bridge inwardly bristled at being called weak, "We were just gonna take-"**

"**It's a quarantine. These hyenas just came in from Africa, so keep out. Even if they call your name."**

"**What?"**

"**The Masai tribesmen told me that hyenas are capable of understanding human speech. They follow humans around by day, learning their names. At night, when the campfire dies, they call out to a person. Once they separate him, the pack devours him."**

**Dl**

**Jack crept inside only to see Kyle and his gang try to throw Lance into the hyena pit. He ran up and pushed them away before helping Lance up.**

"**Pick on someone your own species!" he scowled.**

"**Are you gonna get in my face?" Kyle challenged.**

**The hyenas growled, causing everyone to look at them. The hyena's eyes flashed green and two of the kid's did too. Another flash, another two. Lance made to back away, but tripped and fell over, dropping his notebook. Tor turned towards him and laughed with the others as Lance ran away in fear after grabbing his notebook. Jack turned around with the others.**

**His eyes flashed green as well.**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Dl**

"**I though Jack would be here by now," Z frowned as she carried a soda back to their table in the Bronze. Bridge put down his croissant and soda and sat down opposite her.**

"**That'd make him on time! Can't have that!" Bridge joked.**

"**He was pretty quiet on the way home. You think he's depressed about something?" Z asked.**

"**I didn't notice anything. Then again, I'm not hyperaware of him like you are."**

"**Meaning?" she mocked glared at him.**

"**Well, I'm constantly not monitoring his health, moods, blood pressure . . ." he smirked and Z lit up.**

"**130 over 80!"**

"**You got it bad, girl!" Bridge poked her playfully.**

"**He makes my head go tingly, know what I mean?"**

"**I vaguely recall."**

"**But it hasn't happened to you lately?"**

"**Not of late."**

**Z grinned like a Cheshire cat, "Not even for a dangerous and mysterious, older man whose leather jacket you're wearing right now?"**

"**It matches the shoes!" Bridge said in mock-seriousness as he wiggled a black-sneakered foot in emphasis.**

"**Come on! Sky pushes your buttons! You know he does!" Z playfully punched his shoulder.**

"**I suppose some girls and guys might find him attractive . . ." he trailed off at the look on Z's face and sighed, "if they have eyes! Alright, he's a honey, but . . . he's never around! When he is, all he talks about are vampires! I just can't have a relationship . . ."**

"**There he is!" Z pointed behind him.**

"**Sky?" Bridge turned around.**

"**Jack!"**

**Jack walked into the club, checking a girl out on the way. She stared at him as he walked up to Bridge and Z's table.**

"**Girl and guy!" Jack greeted.**

"**Just guy!" Bridge greeted back.**

"**Sorry I'm late. Forgot we were meeting here." He tore a piece off Bridge's croissant and popped it in his mouth, before scowling.**

"**What is this crap?"**

"**It **_**was**_** a buttery croissant," Bridge tried, to no avail, to stop his fingers from wiggling.**

"**I need some food. Birds live on this stuff!" he frowned at the looks Bridge and Z were giving him.**

"**What's up with you?" Bridge frowned back.**

"**Nothing! I'm fine! Just a little restless . . ."**

"**We could go the ice-cream place," Z offered.**

"**I like it here," Jack pointed at the table. He looked around for a second, then leaned towards Bridge until he was looming over him and sniffed his hair.**

"**Okay, now what?" Bridge leaned back a bit.**

"**You took a bath," Jack said.**

"**Yeah. I-I often do. In fact I'm known for it," Bridge scooted a couple inches away from Jack.**

"**That's okay," Jack looked around again and Bridge and Z exchanged a look.**

"**The weird behavior award goes too . . ." Bridge cut himself off as Kyle's gang walked in.**

"**Oh great. It's the winged monkeys," Bridge sighed. The agng came up to them and Jack got up, joining them. They walked to another table that was occupied and pushed the patrons out of the way. Jack laughed as they shoved them to the ground, but stopped when he looked over to see Bridge not looking amused.**

**Dl**

"**You sure you wanna do this?" Bridge asked as he helped Cruger put on the protective gear so that the Slayer could train.**

"**Yes. Now come on and show me what you've got!" he got ready.**

**Bridge shrugged and got to work whipping around with a roundhouse kick followed by a high punch and elbow to the padded chest. He spun around with another high kick before punching towards the middle and then leaping up to deliver a high kick to the chest. He finished off by leaping up and planting both his feet on Cruger's protected chest, knocking him to the floor.**

"**Enough for today!" Cruger gasped and Bridge, blowing his hair back out of his face.**

"**I don't see why you don't just cut it," Cruger frowned at his Slayer's hair.**

"**Chill. It's barely going beyond my eyes!" Bridge frowned and then ran his hand through it, causing it to spike up.**

"**That last kick was kinda sloppy. Wanna try again?" Bridge helped him up, not even winded.**

"**No, no, no!" Cruger shook his head while trying to catch his breath, "that's fine. You just go to class . . ." He watched Bridge run off after grabbing his bag, "While I wait till the feeling returns to my arms," he grimaced.**

"**Look out! It's gotten loose!" Bridge heard as he walked around the corner. He stopped down quickly and picked up a squirming pig while the students stared at the animal which had been running down the hall.**

"**Lord, Herbert! Gave Mr. Flutie quite a scare, didn't he? Students, I'd like you all to met Herbert, our new mascot for the Sunnydale High Razorbacks!" Principal Flutie announced as he got to where Bridge was standing.**

**The students clapped while Bridge looked the pig over.**

"**He's so cute!" Bridge said with a smile.**

"**No he's not! He's dangerous!" Flutie said with a frown.**

"**Really?" Bridge looked at him, pointing out the pink bow around the pig's neck.**

"**He's ready for action! He's got tusks!" he pointed at the foam tusks on the pig's helmet.**

"**Let's get you back to your cage," Flutie made to take the pig, but it squealed the moment Bridge let go of it. Bridge took the pig back and smiled warmly at it, causing the pig to quiet down.**

"**You've got a way with animals," Flutie looked impressed.**

"**One of my many talents," Bridge chuckled as he followed Flutie to his office.**

"**Come on! If you don't pass this exam, you flunk math!" Z sighed as Jack got yet another answer wrong.**

"**How is that bad?" Jack sighed.**

"**You remember, you fail math, you flunk out of school, you end up being the guy at the pizza place that sweeps the floor and says, 'Hey, kids, where's the cool parties this weekend?' We've been through this!" She frowned as Jack rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Do you have a headache?"**

**Yeah, and I think I know what's causing it.," he threw his math book in the trash, "Ah! That's better, it goes right to the source of the pain."**

"**Jack . . ."**

"**I don't care anymore, Z! Let's just give this up!" he stormed out of the empty classroom as Z watched.**

**Bridge, meanwhile, was following Flutie to his office. They stopped outside and the principal turned to Bridge.**

"**See, the problem is you kids today have no school spirit. Hold on, let me get his outfit off," he removed it and continued on.**

"**Today it's all gangs and drugs and those movies on Showtime with the nudity," he trailed of at the look on Bridge's face. "I don't have cable, I only heard. When I was your age we cared about the school's reputation and the football team's record, all that stuff! Of course, when I was your age I was surrounded by old guys telling me how much better things were when they were **_**my**_** age!" he walked into the office.**

**Bridge smiled and looked down at the pig in his arms, "Yeah!"**

**Jack came in from the other side and the pig began to squeal. Jack frowned at it, but paid no more heed as he walked by, but not before lifting a hand so that his fingers grazed Bridge's cheek as he walked past. Bridge stared at him as he walked on while trying to keep the pig from jumping out of his hands.**

**Dl**

**The coach frowned at the lightning and rain outside before turning to the students in his gym class. "Alright, it's raining, all regular gym classes have been postponed, so you know what that means!" He grabbed a large rubbed ball and smirked, "Dodgeball! Now, for those of you that may have forgotten, the rules are as follows: you dodge."**

**He tossed the ball to Bridge who moved to one side with Kyle's gang and Z while Jack went to the other side with Lance and some other students. The whistle was blown and Jack nailed his first victim. Bridge and the pack members easily dodged the balls and the Slayer threw a ball which hit its mark. Jack threw his ball and it hit hard Z in the back. She looked at him with hurt and shock before going off to sit on the bench. Jack watched her go before catching a ball and commencing in the game.**

**Soon, only Bridge and Lance were left along with the pack members and Jack. They glanced at Bridge briefly before focusing on Lance and throwing the balls. Lance got hit badly by Tor and Rhonda's balls, but Bridge managed to block the other two thrown by Heidi and Kyle, letting out a yelp as Kyle's hit him hard in the back. Jack paused at the sound and tossed the ball away before walking away with the pack.**

"**God, this game is brutal! I love it!" the coach grinned.**

**Dl**

**Z waited for Jack and then walked up to him as he and the pack members came into view.**

"**What's wrong with you?" she asked.**

**Jack looked a the others and then pulled Z aside, "I guess you've noticed that I've been acting different around you."**

"**Yes."**

"**It's because . . . my feelings around you have been changing," he muttered. Bridge came around and walked to his locker, working on the combination.**

"**Since we've been friends for so long, I need to tell you . . ." Z looked at him expectantly.**

"**I've, um . . . I've decided to drop geometry. So I won't be needing your math help anymore. Which means I won't have to look at your pasty face again!" he laughed with the others while Z looked crushed. She walked away and Bridge slammed his locker shut and walked up to Jack.**

"**Got something you wanna say to me?" he asked coldly, crossing his arms.**

**Jack grinned and moved forward. Bridge instinctively took a step back and his back bumped into the lockers behind him. Jack grabbed his chin and forced him to look up before leaning forward. Bridge immediately pushed him back in disgust and walked off after Z while Jack and the others laughed.**

**Jack and the pack walked out and he sniffed the air.**

"**Dogs!" he growled.**

"**Where?" Kyle looked around. Jack led them to two boys eating hot dogs. Jack swiped one while Heidi swiped the other.**

"**Hey!" they protested.**

"**Good?" Jack ignored them and looked at Heidi.**

"**Too well-done!" she snarled. They threw the hot-dogs back and then Kyle stomped on the boys lunches.**

"**That is **_**not**_** cool!" they protested again.**

**Jack led them to the principal's office and then took in a deep breath. Kyle and Tor closed the blinds and Jack looked at the pig in the cage, which began to squeal.**

"**Let's do lunch."**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Jack and the others walked out of the principal's office and to the balcony. Jack's hearing had become super-sensitive and he was able to hear Bridge and Z talking below.**

"**I've known him my whole life, Bridge! We weren't always close, but he's never . . ." she choked up at the end. Bridge hugged her.**

"**I think there's something wrong with him," he said quietly.**

"**Or maybe there's something wrong with me," she said back in the same soft tone.**

"**Huh?"**

"**Come on! He's not picking on you! He's just sniffing you a lot! Maybe three isn't company anymore . . ."**

"**You think this has something to do with me?" Bridge asked, remembering Jack's advances earlier.**

"**Yes."**

"**That still doesn't explain why he's hanging out with the dope patrol. Something's wrong. Something weird," he hopped of the railing he was sitting on.**

"**What're you gonna do?"**

"**Talk to the master of weird."**

**Dl**

"**Jack's taken to teasing the less unfortunate?" Cruger asked as he and Bridge walked about the library.**

"**Yes."**

"**And there's been a noticeable change in dress and behavior?"**

"**Yes."**

"**And his free time is spent lounging with imbeciles?"**

"**It's bad, isn't it?" Bridge frowned.**

"**It's devastating! He's turned into a sixteen-year-old boy! Of course, you'll have to kill him!" he said sarcastically.**

"**Cruger, I'm serious!" Bridge scowled.**

"**So am I. Except for the killing him part. Testosterone is a great equalizer. It turns all men into morons." Bridge gave him a glare and Cruger amended his statement, "Except, apparently, you. He will, however, get over it."**

**Bridge sighed, exasperated and slapped a hand on his forehead, "I can't believe that **_**you**_**, of all people, are trying to Scully me! There is something supernatural at work!" He grabbed some books of the shelves, "Get your books! Look stuff up!"**

"**Look under what?"**

"**That's your department!"**

"**The evidence is . . . sketchy at best."**

"**He scared the pig!" Bridge faltered under Cruger's look, "well, he did!"**

"**Bridge, you should know that boys can be cruel and prey on the weak-"**

"**Prey on the weak . . ." Bridge repeated. "I've heard that before. Jack has been acting totally wiggy ever since we went to the zoo. Him and Kyle and all those guys, they went into the hyena cage. Oh, God, that laugh . . ." he shuddered.**

"**Are you saying Jack's been turned into a hyena?"**

"**Possessed by the spirit of one, yes."**

"**I've never heard off-" he was cut off by a green looking Z at the entrance.**

"**They found Herbert," she shuddered.**

"**The pig?" Bridge frowned.**

"**Dead. And eaten. Flutie's freaking out!"**

**Bridge turned to Cruger with a smug look, "Testosterone, huh?"**

**Cruger simply walked into his office.**

"**What're you gonna do?" Z called.**

"**Get my books. Look stuff up."**

**Dl**

**Flutie walked up to Kyle and the rest of the pack, minus Jack.**

"**You four!" he said angrily.**

"**What?" Kyle asked in a bored manner.**

"**Students saw you outside the principal's office. You're busted! You're going down.**

**Tor turned to Heidi, "How was Herbert?"**

"**Crunchy!" she laughed along with the others, causing Flutie to become even more angry.**

"**That's it! My office, now!" he yelled. Kyle and the others stopped laughing and got off the table, following Flutie.**

"**Wow!" Bridge exclaimed from the book he was reading, "Apparently Noah rejected the hyenas from the Ark because he thought they were an evil impure mixture of dogs and cats."**

"**Hyenas aren't well liked," Z nodded.**

"**They **_**do**_** seem to be the shmoes of the animal kingdom."**

"**Why couldn't Jack be possessed by ducks and puppies?" Z sighed.**

"**Assuming possession is correct a term."**

**Cruger came out of the book cage, "Oh, I'll say it is. The Masai of the Serengeti have spoken of animal possession for, for generations. I should have remembered that."**

"**How does it work?" Bridge looked at him expectantly.**

"**Well, apparently there's a sect of animal worshipers known as Primals. They believe that humanity, uh, consciousness, is a perversion, a dilution of spirit. Uh, to them the animal state is holy. They are able, through trans-possession, to draw the spirit of certain animals into themselves."**

"**And they started acting like hyenas," Bridge nodded.**

"**Yes. And if this goes unchecked . . ." he showed Bridge the book and the Slayer immediately looked away.**

"**I gotta find Jack," he left.**

**Z looked at the page and saw pictures of people with limbs bitten off, heads missing and various other injuries.**

**Bridge came into Herbert's room and looked at the mangled cage. **

"**They're strong," he muttered. He stepped on something that crunched and looked down to see some vertebrate and other bones. He picked up a rib and Jack came up behind him. Bridge dropped the bone and turned around, only to be startled by Jack's sudden appearance.**

"**Jack . . ." Bridge attempted to evade him, but Jack matched his moves quickly.**

"**This is ridiculous! We need to talk!" Bridge faked him out and then jumped on him, pinning him to the floor.**

**Jack smiled at him, "Been waiting for you to jump my bones."**

**Flutie lectured the others in his office, unaware of the fight that was going on.**

"**I have seen some sick things in my life! Believe me! But this is beyond the pale! What is it with you people? Is it drugs? How could you? A poor defenseless pig?"**

**He saw the pack whine and stalk him, "What is the matter with you?"**

**Dl**

**Jack growled and rolled Bridge over onto his back and pinned him down instead.**

"**Get off me!" Bridge snarled, struggling against the iron grip Jack had on his arms.**

"**is that what you really want?" Jack grinned and then leaned closer to the struggling Slayer.**

"**We both know what you really want. You want danger, don't you? You like your men dangerous."**

"**Jack, this isn't you! It's some demonic possession!"**

"**Dangerous and mean, right? Like Sky. Your Mystery Guy. Well, guess who just got mean."**

**Bridge tried to get Jack off him, but still couldn't move under the strength of the demon powers.**

"**Do you know how long I've waited . . . for you to stop pretending that we weren't attracted?" he said in his ear.**

**Bridge managed to break free and pushed him off, getting onto his feet quickly. Jack stood up as well and began to advance on him, while the Slayer backed away.**

"**Until Z . . . stops kidding herself . . . that I could settle for anyone besides you?**

**Bridge tried to avoid fighting one of his closest friends, "Look, Jack, I don't wanna hurt you-"**

**Jack grabbed him by the wrists and slammed him up against the wall.**

"**Now do you wanna hurt me?" he smirked.**

**Bridge struggled against him, but the possessed Jack was much stronger than non-possessed Jack.**

"**Come on, Slayer! I like it when you're scared!" he laughed as Bridge continued to struggle against him and Jack leaned in close so that their faces were inches apart.**

"**The more you struggle," he sniffed him again, "the better you smell."**

**Jack kissed him roughly on the neck and Bridge immediately flinched.**

**Meanwhile, Flutie was being sniffed by the pack.**

"**You're about this close to expulsion, people! I'm willing to talk to the school counselor, and we can discuss options . . ." he began to get up, but Tor jumped up on his desk.**

"**Get down from there!" Flutie yelled. Rhonda got in his face and scratched him. Flutie put a hand to his cheek and saw the blood.**

"**Are you insane?" he said in shock.**

**Tor jumped off the desk and the rest of the pack descended upon him to feed.**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Z watched footage of hyenas preying and then looked up as Bridge dragged in an unconscious Jack and looking rather furious.**

"**We gotta get him locked in before he comes to," Bridge growled.**

"**Jack! What happened?" Z came around to them.**

"**I hit him," Bridge said flatly.**

"**With what?"**

"**A desk," he dragged Jack into the book cage and then locked the door.**

"**What did he do?" Z asked quietly, noticing the tense posture of her friend.**

"**He tried his hand at felony sexual assault," Bridge snarled, angry, not at Jack, but at the hyena spirits.**

"**Oh, Bridge, the hyena in him didn't . . ."**

"**No," Bridge turned to her and sighed, "No, but it's safe to say that in his animal state his idea of wooing doesn't involve a romantic CD and a bottle of Chianti. Where's Cruger?"**

"**He got called to a teacher's meeting. What are we gonna do? How do we bring Jack back?" she bit her lip.**

"**Right now, I'm worried about what the rest of the pack is up to."**

"**The rest of the pack were spotted outside Herbert the mascot's cage. They were sent to the principal's office," Cruger interrupted while walking inside the library.**

"**That'll show them!" Z nodded and then noticed the look on Cruger's face, "did it show them?"**

**Bridge turned to him and worry shone in his eyes, "They didn't hurt him, did they?"**

**Cruger cleared his throat, " They, uh, ate him."**

**Bridge and Z sat down at the table, "They ate him?" they said in unison.**

"**The official theory is that wild dogs got into the office. No one saw them."**

"**Jack," Z looked at Bridge, "he was with you."**

"**Thank God for small mercies," Cruger looked at the unconscious possessed teen.**

"**This is all my fault! I can't help anyone!" Bridge ground out, squeezing his eyes shut and clenching his fists.**

**Cruger looked at Bridge, shocked, "Bridge . . ."**

"**Bridge, why do you think that everything that goes wrong is because of you?" Z yelled.**

"**Because it is! I'm the Slayer! I should be stopping all this!"**

"**You can't stop what you don't know! Instead of regretting was has happened, stop what hasn't!" she shook him by the shoulders, causing the Slayer to look at her, startled.**

"**She's right, Bridge," Cruger walked up to him, "let's do this."**

"**How do we stop this?" Bridge looked at him.**

"**I'm afraid I still don't have all the pieces. Um, the accounts of the Primals and their methods are a bit thin on the ground. There is some talk of a . . . predatory act, but the exact ritual is, um . . . the Malleus Maleficarum deals in particulars of demonic possession, which . . . may apply . . ." he flipped through a book at stopped at a particular page, "Yes, one should be able to transfer the spirits to another human."**

"**Great, any volunteers?" Bridge sighed.**

"**Oh. Good point."**

"**We need to put the hyena into the hyena," Bridge nodded.**

"**Yes, but once we no more . . ."**

"**That zookeeper does. Those hyenas weren't kept under quarantine because they were sick," Bridge's eyes narrowed.**

"**We should talk to him," Cruger nodded.**

"**What about Jack? Someone has to stay here!" Bridge pointed out.**

"**I will," Z stepped in front of him.**

"**Z, you sure? When he wakes up-"**

"**Just go," she held out her hand for the keys. Bridge gave them to her after a moment's hesitation and grabbed his jacket and was out of the library with Cruger.**

**Dl**

**During the night, Jack woke up to see Z watching a video on how hyenas preyed.**

"**Z?" he groaned, "why do I feel like someone hit me with a desk? And what am I doing here?" he looked around.**

"**First, because you did get hit by one, second, cause you're . . . resting?"**

"**You guys got me locked up," he stood up.**

"**Cause you're sick. Bridge said-"**

"**Oh, yeah. Bridge and his all-purpose solution: punch them out and knock them down. I'd love to see what he'd do to somebody who was **_**really**_** sick," he snorted.**

"**That's not fair! Bridge has saved both our lives!" Z said hotly.**

"**Before he came, we didn't need saving! Weren't things a lot simpler when they were you and me?"**

"**Maybe . . ." Z moved closer to the cage.**

"**When we were alone together . . . Z, I know there's something wrong with me. I think it's getting worse. But I can't just stand around waiting for Bridge to decide it's time to punch me out again. Look, I want you to help me. I want you," he whispered.**

"**I know. That's what I'm doing," she whispered back.**

"**You're following orders."**

"**Bridge is trying to help you too. You know that. Or Jack knows it at least."**

**Jack scoffed, "Yeah . . . Bridge is so selfless. Always thinking of us. Well, if I'm so dangerous, how come he left you alone with me?"**

"**Cause I told him to."**

"**Why?"**

"**Cause I know you better than he does . . . and I wanted to be here to see if . . . you were still you."**

"**I am. Look," Jack grinned.**

"**Jack . . ." Z whispered and moved closer to the cage. Jack's hand lashed out, but Z backed away at the last second.**

"**Now I know," she turned away from him. Jack began banging at the cage door.**

"**LET ME OUT!"**

**Dl**

"**The students have been possessed by the hyenas?" the zookeeper sighed.**

"**You don't seem surprised about this," Cruger noted.**

"**The zoo imported those hyenas from Africa. There was something strange about them from day one. I did some homework . . . That particular breed is very rare. Totally vicious. Historically they were worshipped by these guys . . ."**

"**Primals," Bridge nodded.**

"**Yes! They had rituals for this. I don't see how it happened to the kids . . ."**

"**I don't know it completely, but it involves a predatory act and some kind of symbol," Bridge frowned as he tried to recall the page he had seen.**

"**That makes sense. Where did you read that?" the zookeeper frowned.**

"**Did you, by chance, read Sherman Jefferies' book-" Cruger started out.**

"**Boys!" Bridge sighed impatiently.**

"**Sorry."**

"**Look, I think we have enough info to do a reverse trans-possession," the zookeeper pointed out.**

"**What do we do?" Bridge was all business.**

"**We've gotta get those possessed students over to the hyena cage right away. I'll meet you there. We can begin the rituals."**

**Bridge scowled, "Well, we can guarantee one of them, but there are four more, and we have no idea where they are."**

**The zookeeper shook his head, "No, I wouldn't worry about that. After hyenas feed and rest they will track the missing member of their pack until they find him. They should come right to you."**

"**Z!" Bridge cursed as he remembered who was with the pack member.**

**Dl**

**Z watched the video as Jack paced his cell.**

"**Z . . ." he drew the word out.**

"**I'm not listening!" Z shot back.**

**Kyle appeared at one of the windows while Heidi appeared at the other. Kyle smirked.**

"**Z . . ."**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Dl**

"**Z . . ." Kyle continued to call her name. Z turned to the cage Jack was kept in.**

"**Jack, shut up!"**

**The voice came again and she looked up to see Kyle and Heidi kick in the windows. She ran out of the library while Jack pounded at the cage. Kyle managed to bend one end of the cage and the others banged on it. They pulled down the cage and Jack sniffed the air, walking towards the door as he tracked Z.**

**Z ran into one of the unlocked rooms and hid underneath the teacher's desk while the pack continued to track her. They split up, Jack and Heidi in one group. He entered the room which Z had entered and looked around, seeing nothing. He motioned with his head for the other to leave the room. Z heard the door close and got out from under the desk, screaming as she saw Jack standing there. She ran towards the student's desks, Jack behind her, and tipped one over, causing him to trip. She ran out, but was confronted by Heidi.**

"**Z!" she said with a demonic grin.**

"**Heidi!" a male voice said behind her and she turned around, only to be met by a fire extinguisher to the face.**

"**Bridge!" Z said happily and then ran over to Cruger and Jack got up and charged the Slayer, who kicked him back. The other pack members appeared at the other end of the hall.**

"**Run!" Cruger yelled. They ran into another classroom and Bridge shut and locked the door. The pack tried to knock it down, to no avail. Bridge let out a breath and turned to Z.**

"**I am so sorry! I had no idea they would come after Jack!" Bridge pleaded.**

"**It's okay," Z squeaked out and then took a deep breath, "what did I tell about apologizing for no reason?"**

"**Sorry," Bridge grinned and Z smiled.**

"**I think they're going," Cruger nodded as he heard the howls fade.**

"**They're looking for food. Someone weak."**

"**We have to lead them to the zoo."**

"**I'll do it!" Bridge nodded and made to leave, but was stopped by Cruger's hand on his arm.**

"**Bridge, individually, they're as strong as you. Together . . ."**

"**I'll be alright," he left in seconds.**

**Dl**

**Bridge ran down the street and stopped as he saw the pack sitting on top of a car containing a man, a woman and a small child.**

**Jack broke the back window with his elbow and reached in to grab the child.**

**Bridge ran over to the car and punched Rhonda off the hood while leaping up and kicking Kyle off the roof. He snap-kicked Tor in the face and knocked him to the ground, before leaping down to the ground himself. Jack was almost completely inside the car and Bridge growled.**

"**Didn't your mother tell you not to play with your food?" Jack heard him and came out of the car as the pack gathered around him.**

"**Come on. You know what you want," Bridge put his hands on his hips. He ran off towards the zoo and the pack growled before following.**

**Dl**

"**Where's the zookeeper?" Z asked frantically.**

"**Uh, he must be inside. I'll go in and prepare things. You just warn, uh, us when you hear Buffy and the others approaching," Cruger ducked under the tape while Z turned around to look for Bridge and the pack.**

"**Doctor? Uh . . . zookeeper?" Cruger called out and then turned to see the zookeeper dressed in ceremonial garb.**

"**Are you ready for the trans-possession?" he asked.**

"**Almost," the zookeeper nodded.**

**Cruger saw the markings on the floor, "Oh, right! The, uh, sacred circle. Yes, you'd need that to, um . . . this would be here when . . . the children first came. Why would you . . ." realization dawned in his eyes and he exhaled. "How terribly frustrating for you, that a bunch of school children could accomplish what you could not."**

"**It bothered me. but the power will be mine," the zookeeper hit Cruger in the stomach with his staff and then again on the back. The Watcher fell to the floor, unconscious. He tossed away the staff and dragged him away.**

**Outside, Z heard Bridge stumbling through the woods with the pack behind him and ran into the Hyena House.**

"**They're almost here! Cruger! Cruger!" she spotted the zookeeper. "Where are the hyenas for the trans-possession?"**

"**In the feeding area."**

"**Where's Cruger?"**

"**He . . . lies in waiting."**

"**Shouldn't you bring out the hyenas? They're almost here!" she exclaimed.**

"**When the time is right. I need your help . . ." he began binding her wrists.**

"**They're right behind me!" Bridge yelled as he came inside.**

"**Get ready!" Z said as she waited for the Slayer and the pack to arrive. The zookeeper positioned Z in front of him and held a knife to her throat.**

"**A predatory act, huh?** **Uh, right. You'll pretend to slash my throat and, and put the evil in the hyenas?" she stammered.**

"**Something like that," he grinned.**

**Bridge came running in, but stopped short as he saw Z being held against the zookeeper.**

"**Bridge, it's a trap!" she yelled. Bridge was paying too much attention to her to notice the pack behind him. Jack grabbed him and threw him against the wall. The rest of the pack gathered around him. Two of them holding him down while the others pummeled him.**

"**Bridge!" Z screamed. Jack looked at her and then back at Bridge, who was whimpering from pain of the hits.**

"**YU BA YA SA NA!" the zookeeper chanted.**

**The pack looked up at him and their eyes began to glow green at the same time as the zookeeper's. he turned to Z and growled, dropping the knife and leaning in to bite her.**

"**Z!" Jack yelled as he got up. He charged the zookeeper and knocked him down. The pack backed away from Bridge, who got shakily to his feet. The zookeeper punched Jack away, only to get hit by Bridge. Kyle and company ran off as Bridge knocked the zookeeper down once more. The zookeeper roared and then managed to grab Bridge and hurl him towards the hyena pit. He fell in and the hyenas growled. Bridge looked them and they sniffed him before settling down once again. Bridge leapt out of the cage on front of the zookeeper.**

"**I have a gift with animals," he smirked and then flipped the zookeeper over his back and into the hyena pit. He tried to get out but the hyenas dragged him back in and began feeding. Bridge ran to the pit to see if he could save him, but quickly turned away. He watched Jack untie Z and then collapsed to his knees as the pain from before caught up to him. He wiped the trail of blood coming from the corner of his mouth and Jack and Z came up to him, offering their support. Cruger stumbled out of the backroom and looked around.**

"**Uh, did I miss anything?"**

**Dl**

**Bridge, Jack and Z walked about the campus, talking.**

"**So the vice principal is taking over until we get a new one," Z bodded.**

"**Shouldn't be too hard. Unless they ask what happened to the last one," Bridge grinned.**

"**Okay, but I had nothing to do with that, right?" Jack asked.**

"**Nope," Bridge said happily.**

"**You just ate the pig," Z added.**

"**I ate a pig? Was it cooked and called bacon, or . . ." he trailed off at the looks on Bridge and Z's faces.**

"**Oh, my God! I ate a pig? I mean, the whole trichinosis issue aside, yuck!" he covered his mouth.**

"**Well, it wasn't you," Bridge offered.**

"**Well, I remember I was going on the field trip, and then going down to the Hyena House, and next thing some guy's holding Z and he's got a knife while Bridge is being pummeled."**

"**Hey, can we not bring that up? I have enough of a reminder," Bridge winced as he touched the noticeable bruise on his left cheek.**

"**How did your mom take that?" Z nodded to it.**

"**She doesn't know. I've been avoiding her until I find as excuse," Bridge sighed. "Thankfully, this is the only one visible. I'm gonna be sore for the next two days."**

"**Hey, you saved my life," Z changed the subject and looked at Jack.**

"**Nobody messes with my Z!" Jack said with a smile.**

"**This is definitely the superior Jack. Accept no substitutes," Bridge smiled.**

"**Did I do something . . . embarrassing around you guys?" Jack saw Bridge's smile falter a bit as he considered what to tell him.**

"**No," Bridge said again.**

"**Not at all!" Z smiled as well, hoping Bridge was alright.**

"**Come on! We're gonna be late!" Bridge smiled and dragged Z away by her hand.**

"**See you at lunch!" Z called out to Jack.**

"**Going vegetarian?" Jack called back. He gave them two thumbs-up and Bridge and Z smiled at him. He turned to go the other way and ran into Cruger.**

"**I've been reading up on my, uh, animal possession, and I cannot find anything anywhere about memory loss afterwards," he staed.**

"**Did you tell them that?" Jack asked.**

"**Your secret dies with me," Cruger whispered in his ear.**

"**Shoot me, stuff me, mount me," Jack nodded as Cruger left and then stared out of the balcony, unable to believe what had happened to him.**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**YES! FINALLY! All you Sky fans, Sky ahs his first even main role in the next chapter and his relationship with Bridge heats up. I need your opinion. The actual episode name is 'Angel' for the next chapter, but since Sky has the role of Angel in this series, should I keep the next chapter name as 'Sky' or keep it as the original name, 'Angel'? Also, review, readers! Or else I can't work happily and I take a lotta time!**


	7. Sky

**Episode 7: Sky**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**In the Master's lair, Collin was chucking stones into a pool of water, the stones coming from the Master's hand. Darla came into the lair.**

"**Zack didn't return from the hunt last night," the Master told her.**

"**The Slayer," she scowled.**

"**Zachary was strong, and he was careful. And still the Slayer takes him . . . as he has taken so many of my family. It wears thin. Collin, what would you do about it?" he turned to the child.**

"**I'd annihilate him," he said blandly.**

"**Let me take care of him, Master. For you," Darla pleaded.**

"**You have a personal interest in this," he noted.**

"**I never get to have any fun!" she pouted.**

"**I will send the Three," the Master vowed.**

"**The Three?" Darla was intrigued now.**

**Dl**

**In the Bronze, a boy and girl chased a cockroach across the floor.**

"**Got it!" the girl yelled in triumph and then dropped it into the jar by the barkeeper. "Free drink, please."**

"**Ah, the fumigation party!" Z grinned as she and Bridge sat at a table in the Bronze.**

"**Hmm?" Bridge looked at her.**

"**It's an annual tradition. The closing of the Bronze for a few days to nuke the cockroaches?"**

**Bridge continued to pay no attention, "Oh."**

"**What's it like where you live?"**

**Bridge looked at her and smiled, "Sorry . . . I'm just thinking about things . . ."  
**

"**So we're talking about a guy?" Z leaned forward.**

"**Not exactly a guy. For us to have a conversation about a guy, there'd have to be a guy for us to have a conversation about. Is that a sentence?" he frowned.**

"**You lack a guy," Z smiled.**

"**I do. Which is fine most of the time, but-"**

"**What about Sky?"**

"**Sky?" Bridge looked at her, "I can just see him in a relationship. 'Hi honey, you're in trouble! I'll see you next month'!" **

"**He's not around much. It's true," Z sighed.**

"**When he is around . . . it's like the lights dim everywhere else. You know how it's like that with some guys?"**

"**Oh yeah!" Z looked over to where Jack was dancing and making a fool of himself.**

**He danced up to a girl, "Hey Annie!" saw her boyfriend, "Dino. Just leaving!"**

**He back away and bumped into Syd, who yelped.**

"**Ouch! Please get your extreme oafishness off my two hundred dollar shoes!"**

**Jack, being who he was, had to apologize, "I'm sorry, I was just . . ."**

**Syd, being who she was, had to embarrass him, "Getting off the dance floor before Annie Vega's boyfriend squashes you like a bug?"**

"**Oh, so you noticed."**

"**Uh-huh."**

"**Yeah, thanks for being so understanding."**

"**Sure."**

"**Y'know, hey, I don't know what everyone's talking about. That outfit doesn't make you look like a hooker!" he laughed and then went back to Bridge and Z.**

"**Boy, that Sydney is a regular breath of vile air! So what are you guys up to?"**

"**Just sitting here and watching our barren lives blow by . . ." she saw something scuttling about the floor. "A roach!" she stomped it.**

"**I'm gonna go," Bridge got up.**

"**It's early! We could dance!" Jack offered.**

**Bridge winced, "Rain check. Bye!" he was out the door in seconds.**

**Z held her shoe up to Jack, "Free drink?"**

**Dl**

**Bridge walked down the street, looking as though someone had kicked his puppy. Sky watched from the shadows, his eyes sad. Bridge turned around as he felt a presence, but didn't see anyone.**

**He walked past an alley and heard something take a breath. He sighed and turned around.**

"**It's late, I'm tired and I don't wanna play games! Come out!" he yelled.**

**One of the Three jumped to the sidewalk beside him and Bridge whipped around, a stake in his hand. Another member of the Three caught his arm in mid-swing, while another caught his other arm. They dragged Bridge into the alley while he struggled to free himself and pushed him against a fence. The first one approached him.**

"**Okay, I don't wanna fight all three of you . . . unless I have to!" he snap-kicked one in the stomach, elbowed the third and tried to punch the second. He blocked Bridge's swing and kneed him in the gut, before hurling him back against the fence. The other two recovered and strengthened their hold on the Slayer, while the second moved towards him, death in his eyes. Bridge struggled to get away from the others, fear evident on his face.**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**The vampire advanced on Bridge and pulled his head to the side, exposing his neck. He leaned in to bite him, but was pulled off by-**

"**Good dogs don't . . ." Sky punched the vampire in the face, "**_**bite**_

**Bridge got over his shock long enough to react to the two vamps holding him. He used their support to launch a twin straddle kick and hit them both in the face. One of them recovered enough to slam him back against the fence while Sky continued to fight the other two. One of the vamps tore an iron bar out of the window.**

"**LOOK OUT!" Bridge screamed.**

**Sky turned around as the vamp swung the bar and got sliced on the chest. Bridge smashed an open palm into his opponent's chin and kneed him in the gut before launching a snap-kick to throw him back. He saw Sky bent over in pain and about to be stabbed again, but Bridge side-kicked his attacker and fell back against Sky. He helped him up.**

"**Run!" the Slayer yelled.**

**The two of ran out of the alley as the Three recovered to give chase. They jumped over the bushes in front of his house and Bridge opened the front door.**

"**Come on! Get in!" Bridge said frantically.**

**Sky ran in and Bridge slammed the door shut on one of the vamp's hand. They began to look about the house, peeking in through the windows.**

"**It's alright. A vampire can't come in unless invited," Sky informed him.**

"**I've heard that before. Never tested it though," Bridge looked at him gratefully and then noticed the wound. "You're hurt. I'll get some bandages, you . . . take your jacket and . . . shirt off."**

**Bridge walked into the kitchen with Sky behind him. As he got out what supplies he needed, Sky took of his shirt and jacket, revealing a griffin straddling a large 'S' beneath his right shoulder.**

"**Nice tattoo," Bridge commented, trying to hide the heat rising up in his cheeks at the sight of Sky's muscular body.**

"**Thanks," Sky gave him a small grin.**

"**I was lucky you happened to come along," Bridge frowned and then looked up at Sky, "how did you happen to come along?" he began bandaging the wound.**

"**I live nearby. I was out walking," Sky lied smoothly, trying to focus on his excuse and not on the fact that Bridge was standing barely inches away from him and his hands were on his body.**

"**So you weren't following me? I kinda thought you did," Bridge smiled.**

"**Why would I do that?" Sky smiled back at him.**

"**You tell me. You're the Mystery Guy that appears out of nowhere. I'm not saying I'm not happy about it tonight, but . . . if you are hanging around I'd like to know why."**

"**Maybe I like you," Sky looked down at him.**

"**Maybe," Bridge and they smiled at each other. He started as he heard the doorbell ring and rushed out. He opened the door, pulled his mother into the house and closed it.**

"**Hi! What are you doing?" Maya smiled at her son before frowning at ho fast he pulled her in.**

"**There's a lot of weird people out at night," Bridge warned her.**

**Sky walked into the living room, dressed, behind Bridge.**

"**Hi," Maya said with a tinge of suspicion.**

"**Hi," Sky said stoically.**

"**Mom, this is Sky. We ran into each other on the way home," Bridge lied quickly.**

"**Nice to meet you," Sky shook Maya's hand.**

"**What do you do, Sky?" Maya asked.**

"**He's a student," Bridge interjected and got a disbelieving look from his mother. "First year community college. He's been helping me with history. You know how much I'm lacking there."**

"**It's a little late for tutoring. I'm going to bed and Bridge-"**

"**I'll say goodnight and do the same!" Bridge said brightly as his mother walked up the stairs into her room.**

**Bridge opened the door, "Good night! We'll hook up again soon and do that studying thing!" he said loudly before slamming the door shut. He turned to Sky, who was standing behind the door, and led him up to his room.**

"**I don't wanna get you into anymore trouble," Sky started out.**

"**And I don't want you dead," Bridge said, deadpanned. "They could still be out there!" he looked around his room and then at the bed and his eyes widened. "So, uh, two of us . . . one bed. That doesn't work. You take the bed. You're wounded."**

"**I'll take the floor," Sky said with a tone of finality.**

"**But . . ."**

"**I've had worse," Sky tried to assure him.**

"**That's . . . comforting. Why don't you check if the Fang Gang has left and, um, keep your back turned while I changed?" Bridge blushed brightly.**

**Sky smiled at his obvious shyness and then turned to the window while Bridge began to change.**

"**I don't see them," Sky informed him.**

"**I'm the Chosen One, so its my job to fight guys like that. What's your excuse?" Bridge asked without looking at him.**

"**Someone has to."**

"**What does your family think of your career choice?"**

"**They're dead," Sky said shortly.**

**Bridge finished changing and walked up to him, resting a hand on his shoulder.**

"**Was it vampires?" he asked quietly.**

"**It . . . it was," Sky managed to get out.**

"**I'm sorry," Bridge's quiet voice had a soothing tone to it.**

"**It was a long time ago."**

"**So this is like a vengeance gig for you," Bridge nodded.**

**Sky turned to face him and his breath caught as he looked down at Bridge, who was wearing a red sweatshirt and blue sweatpants.**

"**Y-you look good even when you're going to sleep," he stammered out before he could stop himself and inwardly kicked himself as Bridge blushed brightly at the unexpected compliment.**

"**Well, when I wake up, it's an entirely different story," he smiled. Bridge walked over to his bed and handed the comforter over to Sky while he settled on the floor next to his bed.**

"**Sky?" Bridge's voice came out of the darkness as he turned off his lights and looked over the bed at him.**

"**Hmm?"**

"**Do you snore?"**

"**I don't know. It's been a long time since anyone's been in the position to tell me."**

**Sky turned his head to smile at Bridge who returned it, before settling down to get some sleep.**

**Dl**

"**He spent the night? In your room? In your bed?!" Jack freaked out.**

"**Not **_**in**_** my bed. **_**By**_** my bed!" Bridge corrected him.**

"**That is so romantic!" Z gushed, "did you . . . did he . . ."**

"**Perfect gentleman," Bridge and Z exchanged smiles. Both of them would always talk about their relationships with each other.**

"**Hello? Guys, wake up and smell the seduction! It's the oldest trick in the book!" Jack said in disbelief.**

"**What? Saving my life? Getting slashed in the ribs?" Bridge frowned at him.**

"**Duh! I mean, guys will do anything to impress others these days! I once drank an entire gallon of Gatorade without taking a breath!" Jack grinned.**

"**That was pretty impressive. Though there was an 'ick' factor later . . ." Z nodded and trailed off.**

**Cruger came in to hear part of the conversation and sighed, "Can we steer this riveting conversation back to the events that happened earlier in the evening?"**

"**Fine," Bridge sighed and sat down.**

"**You left the Bronze and were set upon by three unusually virile vampires," he put a book down in front of him, "did they look like this?"**

**Bridge glanced at the picture and frowned, "Yup. What's with the uniforms?"**

"**You encountered the Three. Warrior vampires, very proud, very strong," Cruger said gravely.**

**Z looked at him in disbelief, "How do you know this stuff? How do you always know what's going on? I never know what's going on!"**

"**Well, you weren't here from midnight until six researching it," Cruger pointed out.**

"**No, I was asleep," Z nodded.**

"**You know, that's a sign that someone is seriously repressed," Bridge said to Cruger with a grin.**

"**Do you derive pleasure from taunting me?" Cruger asked him with an annoyed tinge in his voice.**

"**Um, yes?" Bridge couldn't hide the amusement in his voice.**

"**Uh, o-obviously you're hurting the Master very much. He wouldn't send the Three for just anyone. We must step up our training with weapons."**

"**Bridge, you should stay at my house until these samurai guys are history," Jack said seriously.**

"**What?" Bridge turned to him with a raised eyebrow.**

"**Don't worry about Sky. Z can run to your house and tell him to get out . . . of town . . . fast," he trailed off at the glare he was getting from Z and the confused look Bridge had on.**

"**Bridge and Sky are in no immediate danger. The Three, having failed in their task, will return to the Master and offer their lives as penance."**

**Dl**

"**We failed in our duty. Our lives belong to you," one of the Three said as he handed a wooden spear to the Master and bowed his head along with the others. The Master handed it to Darla and walked over to Collin, kneeling beside him.**

"**Pay attention, child. You are the Anointed, and there is much you must learn. With power comes responsibility. True, they did fail, but also true, we who walk at night share a common bond. The taking of a life -I'm not talking about humans, of course- is a serious matter."**

"**So you would spare them?" Collin asked blandly.**

"**I am weary and their deaths would bring me little joy," the Master stood up.**

**Darla staked the first of the Three and then dispatched the other two quickly.**

"**Then again, sometimes a little is enough."**

**Dl**

**In the library, Cruger had put out the 'Closed For Filing' sign out the door and was now taking weapons out of the book cage while Bridge examined the various weapons.**

"**Cool! Crossbow!" he took it out and eyed the bolts, "huh. Check out these babies!" He picked one, "Goodbye stakes, hello flying fatality! What can I shoot?" he asked while bouncing on his toes.**

**Cruger looked at him, disturbed, "Um, nothing. The crossbow comes later!" he took the weapon and the bolts.**

"**Aww," Bridge pouted.**

**Cruger took out two staffs and handed one to Bridge, "You must first become proficient with the basic tools of combat. And let's begin . . . with the quarterstaff. Which, incidentally, will, uh, require countless hours of vigorous training. I speak from experience," he frowned as Bridge yawned.**

"**Cruger, 20****th**** century? I'm not gonna be fighting Friar Tuck!" he rolled his eyes.**

**Cruger put on his protective gear and grabbed his staff, "You never know with whom or what you'll be fighting. And these traditions have been handed down through the ages. Now, you show me good, steady progress with the quarterstaff, and in due course we'll discuss the crossbow. Put on your pads."**

**Bridge smirked and picked up his staff, leaning on it's end casually, "I don't need pads to fight you."**

"**We'll see about that. En garde!"**

**Cruger tried to strike Bridge in the face, but the Slayer leaned back and then pulled up his staff to knock Cruger's upwards and out of his hands. He then punched him in the face which, thankfully, was protected by the pads and then knocked his legs out with a sweep. Cruger landed on his back, staring up at Bridge who had one hand on his staff, another on his hip and was smirking victoriously.**

"**Good. Let's move onto the crossbow."**

**Dl**

"**Sky?" Bridge called out as he entered his room the following evening. He closed the door and looked around for the man in question.**

"**Hey," Sky sat up from where he was crouching by the window.**

"**I brought you some dinner. Sorry, it's a little plateless," Bridge handed him a plastic bag filled with food. Sky looked at it and put it down on Bridge's desk.**

"**So what did you do all day?" Bridge tried some small talk, trying to ignore the fact that his crush was in his room.**

"**I, uh, read a little."**

**Bridge noticed his diary was out of place and stared at it in open-mouthed horror.**

"**And thought about a lot of things. Bridge, I-" Sky started out but was interrupted by Bridge, who was busy freaking out.**

"**You read my diary?!" he shrieked and put shoved it into his closet, "that is **_**not**_** okay!" he came back to him. "A diary is like a person's most private place! You don't even know what I was writing about! 'Hunk' can mean a lot of things, bad things. And, and when it says that your eyes are 'penetrating', I meant to write 'bulging'!"**

"**Bridge . . ."**

"**And 'S' doesn't even stand for 'Sky' for that matter, it stands for . . . 'Schemmel', a charming foreign exchange student, so that whole fantasy part has nothing to even do with you at all . . ."**

**Sky sighed and walked up to Bridge, putting his hand over his mouth to stop his babbling, "Your mother moved your diary when she came to clean your room. I watched from the closet. I didn't read it, I swear."**

"**Oh," Bridge said, his voice muffled by Sky's hand on his mouth. Sky withdrew it and Bridge's eyes widened as he realised what he said, "**_**OH!**_**"**

"**I did a lot of thinking today," Sky continued with what he had been saying earlier, "I can't really be around you. Because when I am . . ."**

"**Hey, no big. Water . . . over the bridge, under the bridge," Bridge himself grinned at his words.**

"**When I am, all I can think about is how badly I want to kiss you," Sky whispered, moving closer to Bridge until they were inches apart.**

"**Over the . . . dam . . ." Bridge's mind stopped working as he processed Sky's words. His breath quickened as he asked the next question while looking up at Sky, "Kiss me?"**

"**I'm older than you, and this can't ever . . . I have to go," Sky turned to leave before he kissed the Slayer before him.**

"**H-How much older?" Bridge stuttered.**

"**I should . . ."**

**Bridge came up to him until they were barely apart, " . . . go . . . You said . . ."**

**Sky lost his control at that point and planted a passionate kiss on Bridge's lips. Bridge's arms automatically slid around Sky's neck while Sky slipped his own arms around the Bridge's waist, crushing him to his body. The kiss became more and more passionate until Sky suddenly let go of Bridge and turned away, backing up a couple steps.**

"**What's wrong?" Bridge murmured.**

**Sky turned to him and growled. Bridge screamed in shock as he saw the yellow, glowing eyes, the ridged fangs and the ridges in the forehead. Sky turned away from him and jumped out the window, just as Maya came running in.**

"**What's wrong?" she asked alarmed.**

"**Nothing. Just saw a shadow," Bridge said as he looked out the window. He couldn't believe what had just happened.**

**He was a Vampire Slayer in love with a vampire.**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Bridge walked silently up the stairs with Jack, Z and Cruger.**

"**Sky's a vampire?" Z asked in shock.**

"**I can't believe this is happening. One moment we were kissing and the next . . ." Bridge broke off and sighed before looking pleadingly up at Cruger, "Can a vampire ever be a good person? Is that possible?"**

**Cruger sighed at the depressed look on Bridge's face. Clearly the Slayer was having problems about this and he didn't want to be the one with bad news, "A vampire isn't a person at all. It may have the movements, the memories, even the personality of the person that it took over, but it's still a demon at the core, there is no halfway."**

"**So that would be a 'no', huh?" Z sighed and Bridge sat down on one of the benches in the courtyard with her.**

"**Well, then what was he doing? Why was he so good to me? Was it all some part of the Master's plan? It doesn't make sense!" he said frustrated and a couple tears slipped out of eyes, which he quickly wiped away.**

"**Alright, uh . . ." Jack sat down next to Bridge, "you have a problem, and it's not a small one. Let's take a breath and look at this calmly and objectively. Sky's a vampire. You're a Slayer. I think it's obvious what you have to do." He grinned, but it faded at the murderous look on Z's face and the fact that Bridge hadn't acknowledged what he had said at all.**

**Jack looked at Cruger for support and the Watcher stepped up, "It is a Slayer's duty-"**

"**I know you have feelings for him, but it's not like you're in love with the guys, right?"**

**Bridge looked away and Jack freaked out.**

"**You're in love with a vampire?! Are you outta your mind?!" Bridge gave a deadly glare, but Jack was saved from a painful situation by Syd.**

"**What?!" she shrieked, looking in their direction.**

"**I mean, how could you love an umpire?! Everybody hates them!" Jack made up quickly, but Syd didn't even notice them as she chased after a girl wearing the same dress as her.**

"**Where did you get that dress? This is a one-of-a-kind Todd Oldham. Do you know how much this dress cost? Is this a knockoff? This is a knockoff, isn't it?! Some cheesy knockoff! This is exactly what happens when you sign these free trade agreements!" she continued to rant until she went inside the school building.**

"**Wow, you think **_**we**_** have problems . . ." Bridge chuckled slightly along with Z.**

**Dl**

**Sky came into his apartment after unlocking the door and looked around. He spotted his lamp and turned it on, revealing books stacked up on his desk. He felt a presence and straightened up.**

"**Who's there?" he called out.**

"**A friend," Darla's voice floated out of the shadows as she came out wearing a Catholic schoolgirl outfit.**

"**Hi. It's been a while," Darla grinned.**

"**A lifetime," Sky said blandly.**

"**Or two. But who's counting?"**

"**What's with the schoolgirl look? Last time I saw you, it was kimonos."**

"**And last time I saw you it wasn't high school girls. Don't cha like?" she came closer to Sky, "remember Budapest? Turn of the century? You were such a bad boy during that earthquake."**

"**You did some damage yourself," Sky tried to keep his cool.**

"**Is there anything better than a natural disaster? The panic. The people lost in the streets. It's like picking fruit off the vine," she approached the window. "Nice! You're living above ground, like one of them. You and your new friend are attacking us, like one of them. But guess what, precious? You're not one of them."**

**Darla drew back the curtain slightly, allowing a ray of sunlight to stream in. Sky stumbled back, blinded by the sunlight, and out of it's range.**

"**Are you?" she grinned.**

"**No. but I'm not one of you either," Sky scowled.**

"**Is that what you tell yourself these days?" she sighed and walked up to the fridge, opening it to reveal bags and bottles of human blood.**

"**You're not exactly living off quiche," she pointed out and closed the fridge. "You and I both know what you hunger for," she sauntered up to Sky, "what you need. Hey, it's nothing to be ashamed of. It's who we are. It's what makes eternal life worth living. You can only suppress your real nature for so long. You can feel it brewing inside of you. I hope I'm around when it explodes."**

"**Maybe you don't wanna be," Sky growled.**

"**I'm not afraid of you. I bet that boy is, though. Or maybe I'm underestimating him. Talk to him. Tell him about the curse. Maybe he'll come around. And if he still doesn't trust you, you know where I'll be."**

**Darla left, leaving a fuming Sky behind.**

**Dl**

**In the library, Bridge Z and Jack were looking through some books for any reference to Sky.**

"**I think I got something!" Cruger announced from behind Jack, startling him.**

"**Can you warn us before you do that?" he complained.**

"**There's nothing about Sky in the texts, but it suddenly occurred to me that it's been ages since I've read the diaries of any of the watchers before me," he ignored Jack.**

"**That must have been so embarrassing when you thought he had read your diary, but then it turned out he hadn't, but then he felt the same way . . ." Z began to talk to Bridge, but trailed off at Jack's look, "I'm listening."**

"**There are some mentions of two hundred years ago in Ireland of a vampire named Angelus, the one with the angelic face."**

"**They got that right," Bridge sighed wistfully.**

**Jack cleared his throat and everyone glanced at him, "I'm not saying anything. I've got nothing to say."**

"**Does this, um, Sky have a tattoo beneath his right shoulder?" Cruger asked.**

"**Yeah. It's a griffin," Bridge nodded.**

"**Now I'm saying something! You saw him naked?!" Jack exclaimed, but no one paid attention.**

"**So Sky's been around for a while?" Z asked.**

"**Not long for a vampire. Uh, two hundred and forty years or so," Cruger said sheepishly.**

"**Well, he did say he was older!" Bridge said with a sad grin.**

**Cruger began to flip through the book, "Angelus leaves Ireland, uh, wreaks havoc in Europe for several decades, and then, um, about eighty years ago, the most curious thing happens. He comes to America, shuns other vampires, and lives alone. There's no record of him hunting here."**

"**So he is a good vampire!" Z exclaimed, "I mean, on a scale of one to ten, ten being someone who's killing and maiming every night, and one being someone who's . . . not."**

"**I say that there's no record, but vampires hunt and kill. It's what they do."**

"**Birds gotta fly, fish gotta swim," jack commented.**

"**He could have fed on me. He didn't," Bridge frowned.**

"**Question: What was he like a hundred years ago, pre here?" Jack asked.**

"**Like the others. A violent, vicious animal," Cruger looked down.**

**Dl**

**Darla walked up to the Master and Collin, "Don't think I'm not grateful that you letting me kill the Three-" she started.**

**The Master smiled and interrupted her, "How can my children learn if I do everything for them?"**

"**But you've gotta let me take care of the Slayer."**

"**Oh! You're giving me orders now!"**

**Darla smirked and walked away, "Okay, then, we'll just do nothing while he takes us out one by one."**

**The Master raised an eyebrow, "Do I sense a plan, Darla? Share . . ."**

**Darla smiled deviously, "Sky kills him and comes back to the fold."**

**The Master sighed, "Sky! He was the most vicious creature I ever met. I miss him."**

"**So do I."**

"**Why would he kill him if he feels for him?"**

"**To keep him from killing him."**

**The Master turned to Collin, "You see how we all work together for the common good? That's how a family is supposed to function!"**

**Dl**

"**Okay, let's review," Z said groggily as she and Bridge sat in the library at night. "When was the Reconstruction?" she frowned as Bridge didn't answer, "Bridge?"**

"**Huh?" he seemed to come back to earth. "Oh! Uh, reconstruction began after the . . . construction, which was . . . shoddy, so they had to reconstruct," he said lamely.**

"**During the Civil War," Z sighed.**

"**Right, the Civil War. During which Sky was already a hundred and change . . ."**

"**Are we gonna talk about boys, or are we gonna help you stuffy history?" Z asked.**

**Bridge looked at her and grinned. Z grinned as well and slammed the book shut.**

"**Sometimes I have a fantasy that Jack's gonna grab me and kiss me on the lips!" Z said with a huge smile.**

"**You want Jack, just speak up already, girl!" Bridge laughed.**

" **No! No speaking up! Cause that leads to nervousness and sweaty **

**palms!" Z shook her head.**

**Unknown to them, Darla was watching from the stacks.**

"**Okay, here's something I hafta know. When Sky kissed you, before he turned, how was it?" Z asked eagerly.**

**Bridge sighed and looked up dreamily, "Unbelievable!"**

"**Wow! And it is kinda novel how he'll stay young and handsome forever, although you'll still get wrinkly and die, and . . . oh, and what about the children?" she trailed off at Bridge's look, "I'll be quiet now."**

"**No, it's okay. I need to hear this so that I can get over him and . . ." Bridge trailed off with a sad look on his face. "Like Jack said, I'm the Slayer, and he's a . . . vampire. God, I can't! He's never done anything to hurt me . . . I need to stop thinking about this. Okay, let's give another half an hour and maybe something will sink in. And then I'm going home for some major moping," Bridge changed the subject and h and Z got back to their work.**

**Darla smiled and moved away.**

**Dl**

**Maya moved about the house, trying to get dinner ready for herself and her son. She sighed as she tried to figure out what he was up to these days. Bridge would go to bed and she would always find some blood on his clothes. She was worried about what he was doing, the company he was keeping and most importantly, why he was coming down for breakfast in the morning with bruises which weren't there the night before. She heard a knock on the door and opened it to reveal Darla wearing her Catholic schoolgirl outfit.**

"**Hello?" Maya smiled at the girl.**

"**Hi! I'm Darla? A friend of Bridge's?" Darla smiled.**

"**Nice to meet you!"**

"**Likewise. He didn't mention that I was coming for a study date, did he?" Darla put on an innocent look.**

"**I thought he was studying with Z tonight," Maya frowned.**

"**Yeah, Z is the Civil War expert, but I'm the War of Independence expert. My family kinda lived through it," she smiled.**

"**Well, please come in. Would you like something to eat?" Maya walked to the kitchen.**

**Darla walked into the house and followed her, "Thank you for inviting me into your home. I would like something, yes."**

"**Something small, or something big?"**

**Darla looked at Maya's neck from behind and vamped out, "Something big!"**

**Outside, Sky walked up to the closed front door of Bridge' home and was about to knock before he bowed his head and began to walk away. He heard Maya screamed and wheeled around, running to the back door and kicking it open, to see Darla biting Maya.**

"**Let her go!" he yelled.**

"**I just had a little, there's plenty more. Aren't you hungry for something warm after all this time? Come on, Sky. Just say 'yes'!"**

**She shoved Maya into Sky's arms so that he could see the bite-wound and smell the blood. He struggled with himself and then looked up with his game-face on and snarled at her. **

"**Welcome home!" she laughed and walked around him and out.**

"**I'm home!" Bridge said cheerily as he entered from the front door before stopping cold at the sight of Sky holding his mother's lifeless body in his arms with his fangs bared.**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Sky went flying through the living room window and landed on the lawn. Bridge came up to the broken window and gave him a death glare while clenching his fist tightly enough that blood was beginning to stream from the small puncture wounds his nails were cutting in his palm.**

"**You're not welcome here. If I see you again, I'll kill you," Bridge said coldly, trying to hide the fact that he still couldn't bring himself to kill Sky on the spot. The vampire simply looked at him until he turned to go for the phone.**

**Bridge knelt beside his mother and grabbed he nearest phone. It slipped in his grasp since the blood had made his hands slick.**

"**I need an ambulance at 1630 Revello Drive! My mother cut herself and she's lost a lot of blood! Please, please hurry!" Bridge looked at his mother and clenched her hand in his own.**

**Jack and Z came in through the back-door and Z immediately rushed to his mother.**

"**What happened?" she said in shock.**

"**Sky."**

**Dl**

**Cruger rushed down the hospital hall, trying to find Maya's room while the teens were already in there.**

"**What happened mom?" Bridge asked, leaning his chin on his recently bandaged right hand. They had thought Bridge had attempted to kill his mother, judging by the blood on his hands, but Maya had dismissed that thought by saying Bridge had not been home.**

"**Your, um, friend came over . . . I was gonna make a snack . . ." she frowned.**

"**My friend?" Bridge frowned as well.**

**Cruger came in time to hear the last part.**

"**I guess I slipped and fell on . . . what looks like a barbeque fork. Which we don't have," she looked at Cruger, "Are you another doctor?"**

**Bridge turned and saw Cruger, "Mom, this is Mr. Cruger."**

"**Oh. What's he doing here?" Maya asked confused.**

_**She's definitely related to Bridge**_**, Cruger thought, but said, "I came to wish you a speedy recovery."**

"**Boy, the teachers really **_**do**_** care in this town!"**

"**Mom, get some rest," Bridge got up and pushed the others out of the room. They walked down the hall, Bridge intent on heading to the library. Cruger stepped in front of him, "Bridge . . ."**

"**This is all my fault . . ." Bridge sighed.**

"**No, it isn't," Z put her hand on his shoulder.**

"**No? I invited him into my home. Even after I knew who he was, what he was, and I didn't do anything about it . . . because I had feelings for him, because I cared about him."**

"**If you care about somebody you care about them. You can't change that by . . ."**

"**Killing them? It's a start," Bridge shrugged her hand off and continued his path.**

"**Bridge!" Cruger came in front of him.**

"**You can't stop me. the Three found me in front of the Bronze. He did too. He lives nearby."**

"**This is no ordinary vampire. He's faced the Three! This is gonna take more than a simple stake."**

**Bridge managed to get past Cruger and walked the way to the library, his voice floating back, "I know."**

**Bridge went to the library and took the crossbow and a few bolts out of the book cage.**

**Dl**

"**He's out hunting you now," Darla giggled, "he wants you dead."**

"**Leave me alone!" Sky growled.**

"**What did you think? Did you think he would understand? That he would look at your face -your true face- and give you a kiss?"**

**Bridge was training himself with the crossbow. He had put up one of the posters of a no-smoking AD. He took a practice shot and nailed the figure in the heart.**

"**For a hundred years you've not had a moment's peace because you will not accept who you are. That's all you have to do. Accept it. Don't let her hunt you down. Don't whimper and mewl like a mangy human. Kill! Feed! Live!"**

**Sky growled at the last words and pushed Darla against the wall and pinned her there.**

"**Alright!" he yelled.**

"**What do you want?" she whispered.**

"**I want it finished!"**

"**Good. You're hurting me," she smiled, "that's good too."**

**Bridge held the crossbow ready and stopped outside the Bronze. He headed towards the entrance, but heard glass breaking above him and turned to the noise. He looked around and went to the wall where a ladder was resting. He climbed up without a moment's hesitation.**

**Dl**

"**So how is Bridge doing in history?" Maya asked Cruger who was watching her.**

"**He lives for the 'now' moment and history is very much . . . he's trying, so there's no reason . . ." Cruger tried to make up something, but Maya but him off with a piece of shocking information.**

"**He's studying with Z, he's studying with Darla, so he's making an effort right?"**

"**Darla? I don't believe I know . . ." Cruger frowned.**

"**His friend. The one who came over," Maya informed him.**

"**Darla came over? She's the friend you mentioned?"**

"**Yes. Must have scared the poor thing when I fainted. Someone should check on her."**

"**Yes, you're right. I'll do it," Cruger grabbed his coat and left.**

"**That school is amazing!"**

**Cruger met up with Jack and Z, who were standing outside.**

"**We have a problem."**

**Dl**

**Bridge came down the stairs, crossbow in hand and looked around. Sky quickly hid in the shadows, but Bridge felt his presence and wheeled towards his general direction.**

"**I know you're there. And I know what you are," Bridge said coldly.**

"**Do you?" Bridge turned towards Sky's voice.**

"**I'm just an animal right?" Sky growled.**

"**You're not an animal. Animals, I like."**

**Sky came out of the shadows and Bridge trained his crossbow on him.**

"**Let's get done with this!" Sky yelled.**

**He morphed into his game-face and ran at him, jumping up on a pool table. Bridge followed him with the crossbow and tried to shoot him, but missed. Sky jumped into the catwalk above where Bridge couldn't see him and then swung down, kicking the Slayer in the back, knocking him towards a pool table and causing him to lose the crossbow.**

**Bridge braced his right hand on the table and used his momentum to swing up towards the other side of the table without colliding into it. He winced as his right hands began to sting, but ignored it and grabbed a billiard ball and threw it at Sky. It missed again, but this time, Bridge made his way around the table and launched a kick at Sky, sending him against the wall. Bridge dived for the crossbow and rolled on his back, aiming it at Sky, who growled at him.**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Dl**

**Sky morphed back into his normal form and Bridge kept his crossbow trained on him, but didn't shoot.**

**Come on! Don't go soft on me now!" Sky yelled.**

**Bridge launched the bolt and it struck the wall next to his head.**

"**Little wide," Sky commented.**

"**Why?" Bridge frowned as he sat up, "Why didn't you just attack me when you had the chance? Was it a joke? To make me feel for you and then . . . I've killed a lot of vampires. I've never hated one before."**

"**Feels good, huh? Feels simple."**

"**I invited you into my home and you attacked my family!" Bridge yelled.**

"**Why not? I killed mine. I killed their friends . . . and their friend's children. For a hundred years I offered ugly death to everyone I met, and I did it with a song in my heart."**

"**What changed?" Bridge looked at him as Sky's voice started in a casual tone but became pained as he continued.**

"**Fed on a girl about your age. Beautiful, dumb as a post, favorite of her clan."**

"**Her clan?"**

"**Romany. Gypsies. They cast a curse on me and restored my soul."**

"**What, they were all out of boils and blinding torment?" Bridge narrowed his eyes.**

"**When you become a vampire the demon takes your body, but it doesn't get your soul. That's gone! No conscience, no remorse . . . it's an easy way to live. You have no idea what it's like to have done the things I've done . . . and to care. I haven't fed on a living human being since that day," Sky said, his eyes shining with unshed tears.**

"**So you started with my mom?" Bridge asked, but there was not as much harshness in his voice as there had been before.**

"**I didn't bite her!"**

"**Then why didn't you say anything?" Bridge asked in disbelief.**

"**Because I wanted to! I make walk like a man, but I'm not one. I . . . I wanted to kill you tonight," he looked away.**

**Bridge looked at his bow and then back at Sky. He put it down and walked up to him, tilting his head to the side, fully exposing his neck to Sky, "Go ahead."**

**Sky simply looked at him and Bridge moved a couple inches away, "Not as easy as it looks."**

"**Sure it is!" a female voice said and Bridge and Sky turned to see Darla step out of the shadows. "Do you know what the saddest thing in the world is?" she said casually.**

"**Bad hair on top of that outfit?" Bridge commented.**

"**To love someone who used to love you."**

**Bridge glanced at her and Sky, "You two were involved, I'm guessing?"**

"**For several generations," Darla smiled.**

"**Well, you been around since Columbus, you are bound to pile up a few ex's. You're older than him, right? Just between us, you are looking a little worn around the eyes," Bridge pointed.**

**Darla smiled and glanced at Sky, "I made him. There was a time when we shared everything, wasn't there Angelus? You had a chance to come home, to rule with me in the Master's court for a thousand years, but you threw that away because of him. You love someone who hates us. You're sick. And you'll always be sick. And you'll always remember what it was like to watch him die. You don't think I came alone, do you?"**

"**I know I didn't," Bridge kicked up his crossbow from the floor and pointed it at her.**

"**Hmm, scary," Darla commented and then pulled out two pistols, "Scarier!"**

**She shot at Bridge, who was shoved out of the way by Sky. Bridge rolled to his feet and saw Sky stagger back into a post from the gunshot.**

"**Don't worry," Darla smirked at the horrified look on Bridge's face, "bullets can't kill vampires. It can hurt like hell though!"**

**Darla shot at Bridge again, but he was ready. He did a shoulder roll over the pool table and crouched behind it. Bridge reloaded the crossbow quickly, while Darla giggled.**

"**So many body parts, so few bullets. Let's start with the kneecaps. Can't have fun dancing without them!"**

**Bridge jerked up from the pool table and fires of a shot. The bolt hit Darla in the stomach and she bent over with pain. She straightened up quickly though.**

"**Close, but no heart."**

**She raised the gun again, but unknown to her, Jack, Z and Cruger were watching from the air vent.**

"**We need to distract her!" Jack thought up. Z gestured for them to duck and then took a deep breath.**

"**Bridge, it wasn't Sky who attacked your mom. It was Darla!" she yelled.**

**Darla turned towards the voice and fired off a round of bullets which missed them since they were ducking. Sky managed to pry the bolt of the wall while Darla turned her attention to Bridge again and jumped on the pool table. Bridge stood up and pulled the table, causing Darla to fall on her back. He shoved the table away and ducked as she let out another volley of bullets while sliding away. Bridge ducked behind the counter and Darla began shooting bullets at it. One bullet pierced his right upper arm and Bridge couldn't help but let out a cry of pain. Darla heard him and began advancing on his hiding place.**

"**Come on Bridge! Take it like a man!" she laughed.**

**Sky came up behind Darla, roared and plunged the bolt into her heart from behind. She let out a cry of pain and turned to her see attacker.**

"**Sky?" she said in disbelief before she turned to dust. Bridge came out from behind the counter, clutching his right arm, blood seeping from his fingers. Sky looked up from Darla's ashes and the two locked eyes for a minute before Sky turned to leave. Bridge watched him go.**

**Dl**

**In the Master's lair, the Master himself screamed in rage. He smashed several objects in the room before sinking to his knees in grief. Collin came over with his usual blank expression.**

"**Forget her," he said. The Master turned to him in anger.**

"**How dare you? She was my favorite . . . for four hundred years!"**

"**She was weak. You don't need her. I'll get you the Slayer."**

"**But to lose her to Sky!" he yelled, "he was to have sat at my right hand, but now . . ."**

**Collin put his hand on the Master's shoulder, "They're all against you. But soon you shall rise. When you do . . . we'll kill them."**

**The Master smiled as Collin took his hand and led him away.**

**Dl**

"**Ah, the post-fumigation party!" Jack sighed.**

"**Okay, so what's the difference between this and the post-fumigation party?" Bridge cocked an eyebrow.**

"**Hardier cockroaches," Jack supplied.**

"**So, no word from Sky?" Z asked.**

"**No. It's weird though. In his way, I feel like he's still watching me," Bridge frowned.**

"**Well, in a way he sort of is. He's right over there," Z pointed behind him and Bridge turned around to see Sky standing in the shadows by the staircase. He got up and began to head towards him.**

"**I don't need to watch because I'm not threatened. Just gonna look this way," Jack turned around so his back was facing the couple while Z looked on.**

"**I just wanted to see if you were okay. And your mother," Sky sad stoically.**

**Bridge smiled slightly and looked at his right arm, "The bullet just grazed my arm, so no need for a doctor or anything. Cruger bandaged it and I just have to wear long sleeves for a while. She's good too. How are you doing?"**

"**If I can go a little while without being stabbed or shot, I'll be okay," Sky joked and then turned serious, "look, this can't-"**

"**Ever be anything," Bridge completed, "I know, for one thing, you're two hundred and twenty four years older than me."**

"**I just . . . I gotta walk away from this," Sky said, but didn't move any further away from him.**

"**I know. Me too," Bridge nodded, but neither of them made a move to increase their distance. "One of us has to go here," Bridge whispered.**

"**I know," Sky whispered back.**

**They looked at each other for a moment longer and Sky stepped forward, taking Bridge's face into his hands and softly kissing his lips. Bridge responded and moved his hands around Sky's neck while Sky's hands slipped down to his waist.**

"**What's going on?" Jack asked Z while still facing away from Bridge and Sky.**

"**Nothing . . ." Z commented while watching Bridge and Sky continue their passionate kiss.**

"**Well, as long as they aren't kissing," Jack nodded.**

**Sky pulled away from Bridge and bit his lip.**

"**You okay?" Bridge asked.**

"**Yeah, it's just . . ." Sky looked down for a second, but Bridge followed his gaze and gasped at what he saw.**

**On Sky's chest, which was exposed by the collar of his shirt, there was a burn mark in the shape of a cross. Bridge looked down at his own neck where the cross necklace that Sky had given him was hanging.**

"**Oh no, I totally forgot! I'm so sorry! Why didn't you say anything?!" Bridge asked Sky, concern in his voice as well as guilt.**

**Sky smiled and brushed his fingers on Bridge's lips before retreating into the shadows, but not before one last sentence.**

"**I never noticed the pain."**

**FINALLY! You have no idea how long I've been waiting to write this chapter! It's finally done and Sky returns to his post as appearing and disappearing character. Four more chapters before the end of Season One and then I'll work on another couple fics before staring on Season Two, where Sky will regain his permanent character status permanently!**


End file.
